COMPOSTING TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEM


by Igor Kharitonenkov T


he conventional agricultural system in the United States is riddled with unsus- tainable inefficiency, both economically and environmentally. According to a study from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, it takes an average of seven to ten calories of fossil fuel energy to produce just one calorie of food energy in the current system. Fresh produce travels an average of 1,500 miles from farm to plate, consuming nonrenewable resources, and synthetic, fossil fuel-based fertilizer and pesticide runoffs are polluting American waterways. Add rising energy prices and a growing population to this scenario and it’s clear that the nation’s current food system is in dire need of sustainable solutions. One answer lies in composting, which recycles biological waste and turns it into fertilizer. By harnessing the natural resources and labor that went into the ini- tial production of food, composting saves materials and money. Before industrial farming took over, farmers used compost to supply soil with the nutrients needed to grow crops. When modern farms turned to synthetic, fossil fuel-based fertilizers and pesticides to increase crop yields and pro- duce cheaper food for the masses, the need for a healthy soil base was abolished. To- day most crops are dependent on synthetic fertilizer and some won’t grow without it. The resulting unhealthy soil loses wa-


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