Life is based on rhythms and regulatory circuits
Dear Friends of ELIANT,
All sustainable agricultural systems are characterised by circular thinking. This was also the decisive principle on which Rudolf Steiner founded the biodynamic method of cultivation 100 years ago with his agricultural course in Koberwitz/Poland. Every farm can develop into an "agricultural individuality" in which one thing serves another and contributes to the whole.
Humus and soil fertility – t h e question concerning the future of the earth
At the heart of this, however, lies the concern for soil fertility – that the humus content of the soil can be increased through suitable crop rotations and organic fertilisation methods. This is because a high humus content increases the soil's ability to absorb water and build up a diverse soil microbiome. In this way healthy plants can grow with greater resistance to pests. This is crucial. After all, the conventional use of pesticides is prohibited with this cultivation method, as is the use of mineral fertilisers. All the necessary nutrients for a healthy soil structure are provided by the animals on the farm and green manuring in the crop rotation. Water and soil are not polluted with chemicals, but it does mean that yields are on average 15 percent lower than on conventional farms.
It is therefore crucial for us humans to think in terms of healthy cycles, not only by wanting to consume pesticide-free food, but also by making an investment in the future of our planet through the slightly higher financial outlay! For this cultivation method improves the quality of the soil year after year – in contrast to industrialised conventional agriculture, where this development goes in the opposite direction and the soil quality deteriorates over the years and can even lead to soil infertility.
Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity
Due to the fact that such a circular economy supports the development of the earth and people, visionary biodynamic and organic projects are repeatedly honoured. Thus, on 12 July 2024, the Gulbenkian Foundation honoured the Sekem Initiative, as one of three award winners, for its project to convert 40,000 small farmers in Egypt to organic and biodynamic farming. Every year, the foundation awards prizes for humanity to artistic, knowledge-sharing and scientific projects. The jury has been chaired since 2022 by former German chancellor Angela Merkel.
Power and insight of consumers
The area under sustainable organic farming in Europe is still less than 10 percent.
Farmers are under pressure from retailers and processors to supply their products at low prices, with the argument that consumers want food that is as cheap as possible. How quickly this could change if forward-looking circular thinking took hold, for example by throwing away less food – this still comes to more than 30 percent every year. Neither is it considered that the sequestration of carbon in industrially farmed soils is significantly lower.
The reduced water absorption capacity associated with poor soil quality increases the risk of mudflows and swelling streams and rivers during heavy rainfall, as we are increasingly experiencing. Pesticide and mineral fertiliser residues are not only found in the soil and in agricultural products, but also in the water and therefore in drinking water. These consequential costs are not borne by the polluters, but by society as a whole.
As consumers, we decide with every item of food we buy which way of thinking and farming we want to support.
With best wishes on behalf of the ELIANT team for restful summer days
Michaela Glöckler
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