Summary
Organic farming and lowering meat consumption are key issues when considering the resilience side of food and nutrition security. An organic vegan diet will create food security even under severe draughts, heavy rains and hard winds. Leaving the factory farmed meat era behind will release more than 200 Mha, for production of grass that can be turned into biogas and synthetic diesel, thus creating a possibility leave the fossil fuel era for vehicles behind. Meat consumption and conventional farming are also contributing to an increasing violence on a global level. A vegan diet will pave the way for a global peace
Maintenance of soil fertility and nutritional value of crops are key challenges for humanity when considering creation of food security and proper health. Use of chemical fertilizer and linear flows of nutrients will never be sustainable since rock phosphate is a limited resource. Recycling of organic waste, including human manure to farming land is a cornerstone for creation of food and nutritional security. Pesticide residues found in drinking water and food are giant threats to human health. Nutritional values of crops cultivated with conventional farming have lost their nutritional values with up to 90% the last 50 years.
Organic farming using biomanure will maintain the crops nutritional values and secure the symbiosis between the plants and their root bacteria, thus the securing the plants immune defense.
Biogas technology is like introducing an industrial cow that produces biomanure and biogas as a
byproduct. The biomanure can be spread directly in growing crops, since nutrients are mineralized during fermentation and can be taken up directly by the plants without losses. By using the bio manure in organic farming the crop yields can be increased compared to conventional farming. Cold plasma technology using biogas for small scale production of synthetic diesel creates a unique possibility to leave the fossil fuel era behind. The potential is giant since the synthetic diesel can be produced directly from biogas or by thermal gasification of any substrate with carbon like by example biomass, tires and waste from households.
The research report “ Resource food” written by Elsa laurel a famous nutrionist and me, shows that introduction of a vegan diet in Sweden would release 1,2 Mha of arable land for biogas production and at the same time secure self sufficiency on organic food and vehicle fuel – biomethane and synthetic diesel. (See www.resursmat.se)
On a global level 240 Mha of arable land is used for producing cattle feed. If we lowered our meat consumption with 80% we would be able to release 200 Mha of arable land for growing grass and energy crops that together with any carbon waste can support all our vehicles with bio methane and synthetic diesel.
Meat production is now the biggest contributor to the global warming. When considering the land use linked to cattle feedstock now preventing introduction of a fossil fuel free vehicle fleet, meat production is responsible for around 50% of the total anthropogenic global greenhouse gas emissions.
By switching from the real cow to the industrial cow – the biogas plant , meat and milk producing farmers can get a sustainable alternative since the industrial cow feeds very well on grass and any organic waste including black water. In Sweden 4 out 5 fishes are used as feedstock for cattle. Thus declining fish populations can be restored by switching the cows.
Raw vegan food will lower the demand for cooking fuel and thus prevent deforestation and soil degradation..The only cooking fuel you need is for making safe water for soaking beans and cereals.
The beans can be stored for decades and will be waked up by soaking them over night.
Organic solar dried fruits and vegetables and sprouted beans will be excellent alternative from a nutritional and resilience perspective.
Further on biogas technology will make it possible to reclaim denuded land that makes it possible for exploiters of the rain forest to operate outside the rainforest. Rescuing of the rain forest is the most important issue right now since the rain forest is a rain cloud factory that distributes rain to surrounding countries. Clearing rain forests for meat production is like stealing rain from your neighbor and without rain there will be no food. It is also destruction of one of our most mportant carbon dioxide sinks.
Monoculture crop production is much more sensitive to extreme weather situations than organic farming and need to be abandoned once and for all from a soil erosion, nutritional, health, resource, biodiversity, energy, climate and resilience perspective.
Violence linked to food supply is now becoming highlighted. Resent research shows that consumption of pesticide residues are a source of violent behavior. Compared to vegetables meat has very high concentrations of residues from chemical pesticides since the cattle is eating the feed stock over and over again before it’s slaughtered. Meat itself is also well known source of violent behavior since it increases the adrenalin levels.
One of the wisest conclusions ever drawn is “As long as we have slaughterhouses we will have battle fields ”, a quotation from Leo Tolstoy that can become cornerstone for creation of rescuing plan for humanity and Planet Earth.
Vegan food is a fundamental cornerstone for a global peace and nutritional security. Time is ripe for switching from a meat to a vegan diet. In combination with biogas technology and vehicle fuel production our farmers will get a sustainable alternative that will contribute to maintain soil fertility for coming generations – together with a global the biggest challenges for humanity. We are all one people and have one common home to take care of - Planet Eart. Let’s start now tomorrow might be to late.
Bjorn Marten, teacher at Campus West in Sustainable development and independent sustainable system designer
Bjorn Marten