Definition Climatefarming en francais

Definition Climate Farming

Climate farming uses agricultural means to keep carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses from escaping into the atmosphere. Like organic farming, climate farming maintains biodiversity and ecological balance on productive, argicultural land. But climate farmers like Hans-Peter Schmidt go a step further and covert leftover organic mass into biochar, a solid carbon compound that can improve soil quality. Biochar production also creates a kind of gas that can then be burned to help generate power. A climate farm could grow food, generate power, and help keep carbon out of the air.

Climatefarming – Pour une agriculture durable

von Hans-Peter Schmidt

Le climatefarming est souvent décrit comme une méthode agricole au moyen de laquelle du CO2 est prélevé de l’atmosphère et stocké de façon stable dans le sol sous forme de carbone. Ceci pourrait permettre de freiner le changement climatique. Mais le climatefarming, c’est également un concept écologique durable pour l’agriculture du future, qui produira aussi bien des denrées alimentaires que de l’énergie et de l’air propre, encouragera la biodiversité et protégera le paysage.

Au travers de leurs feuilles, les plantes prélèvent du dioxyde de carbone contenu dans l’air et le transforment à l’aide de la lumière, de substances minérales et de l’eau en molécules carboniques. Lorsque la plante meurt ou pourrit, ou si elle est mangée et digérée, les molécules longues de carbone sont de nouveau scindées. Ce processus libère de l’énergie et donc du carbone qui, composé à plus de 99% de CO2, s’évapore dans l’atmosphère. (en savoir plus ...)

Donnerstag, 29. September 2011

New Agriculturist: News brief - Farmers reap benefits from bamboo

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Farmers reap benefits from bamboo

Farmers reap benefits from bamboo

Farmers in Western Kenya are taking up bamboo farming
© Neil Palmer (CIAT)

Tobacco farmers in Western Kenya are abandoning the crop in favour of growing bamboo after working with Maseno University's School of Environment and Earth Studies. The farmers, mainly from South Nyanza province, have been involved in the University's 'Tobacco to Bamboo' project, encouraging the cultivation and utilisation of bamboo as an alternative to tobacco production, which has degraded the area through the need for fuel wood to cure and dry tobacco leaves.

Farmers involved in the project have stated that tobacco production has led to increased poverty in the region, caused by high demand for fuel wood, exposure to toxic substances leading to serious health issues, and high labour demands which often require the whole family to be engaged in production. However, growers have been impressed by the bamboo's fast maturity noting that its planting does not involve numerous processes and it can be planted anywhere with little expenditure. Bamboo cane is now being used by farmers to build affordable houses and make a wide range of products from plywood to flutes and fencing.

Johnson Olweru, a bamboo farmer, has called on the government of Kenya to encourage the production of bamboo to prevent the destruction of traditional forest cover in the country. Bamboo has also been credited by environmentalists as an efficient means to offset carbon emissions.

Written by: Joseph Ojwang

Climatefarming in northern Senegal