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https://medium.com/symbiotica/city-compost-programs-turn-garbage-into-black-gold-that-boosts-food-security-and-social-justice-4c477053cc17>
"Almost overnight, the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed many Americans’
relationships with food. To relieve some of the stress associated with shopping
safely for groceries and ensure food security, many people are once again
planting “victory gardens.” This tradition hearkens back to previous
generations who cultivated home gardens during both World Wars.
Interest was high even before the pandemic. In 2014 the National Gardening
Association reported that 42 million U.S. households — about 1 out of every 3 —
grew some kind of food, either at home or in community gardens.
But home gardening isn’t always easy. Poor soil quality will hamper vegetable
growth and food production. And many gardeners, especially in lower-income
communities, don’t have access to resources that can improve the soil.
We are scholars who have analyzed the power of microbes in settings that
include forest soils and permafrost, the built environment, and digestive
systems and agricultural soils. In our view, the time has come for major public
investments in a well-known gardening resource: compost.
Microbes make compost by breaking down organic matter, such as food scraps.
Compost improves soil health so dramatically it’s often called “black gold.”
Large-scale municipal composting is a public resource that can reduce food
waste, cut greenhouse gas emissions and promote better stewardship of our most
valuable natural resource: soil."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
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mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
