Modern Agriculture

Sustainability is all about cyclic systems.  New sustainable technologies are often simply adaptations of existing systems, except with a reorientation of outputs so that less energy (and therefore money) is wasted.  Previously, packaging may have been discarded after a single use, now it is simply used several times before being composted.  Admittedly, industrial composting is a system that needs to be implemented more, and I wish I knew how to help that to occur.

The system that I use at home is a two-step process that ferments anaerobically for two weeks first and then combines with pre-composted landscape wastes for a second two weeks of aerobic composting.  It produces beautiful black compost that is rich in nutrients and is excellent for increasing the productive capacity of any kind of soil and it is completely finished in less then 4 weeks.

Industrially, it would be possible to produce a viable finished product from any kind of food waste in less then a week.  Ideally, the holding time would be closer to 2 weeks to ensure that all free energy has been consumed by the bacteria before sending out the product to be distributed in the fields.  The product would then finish decomposing in the soil, naturally buffering the pH levels of the soil and increasing fertility for the cost of transporting the product to the soil.

One of the reasons that chemical fertilizer is used in agriculture is the cost of transportation.  A ton of cow manure, for example, is extremely cheap, and it's great for the soil, but it costs a lot of money to transport.  Food wastes could be used around any city to improve agricultural operations, using these processes, instead of filling up landfills with potentially dangerous biologically active materials.  I wish I could help to implement this technology.

Agricultural Lactic Acid Bacteria (ALAB), such as those researched by Dr. Teruo Higa, are capable of speeding up the breakdown of agricultural residues and any kind of food waste quickly and safely.  They also reduce common negative odors associated with agricultural activities, such as the sometimes raunchy odor of decomposing manure.  They are cheap to manufacture and are capable of helping us to increase the fertility of our soil while reducing the costs associated with fertilization.

Written By: Paul Sober