Ancient Farming Practice Produces More Food, Less Pollution
Using a technique similar to composting – but with a twist – West African farmers create rich soil that absorbs global-warming carbon dioxide.
So Dawit Solomon of Cornell University is looking for ways to produce more food without making climate change worse. He thinks a technique used by West African farmers for hundreds of years may be part of the answer.
October 17, 2016 | Source: Yale Climate Connections | by Bud Ward
Using a technique similar to composting – but with a twist – West African farmers create rich soil that absorbs global-warming carbon dioxide.
Tractors emit carbon dioxide. Livestock emit methane. All told, agriculture causes about ten percent of global warming pollution.
So Dawit Solomon of Cornell University is looking for ways to produce more food without making climate change worse. He thinks a technique used by West African farmers for hundreds of years may be part of the answer.
Consider it composting with a twist. Farmers combine agricultural and kitchen waste, then add ash and char residue from cooking.