An Albuquerque, New-Mexico based, non-profit company called Holistic Management International (HMI) is recommending that farmers and ranchers increase the organic content of their lands to help fight global warming. And how do they do this? They employ animal grazing techniques developed 25 years ago by HMI. The results speak for themselves. Here are photographs of the same piece of land in Zimbabwe, the first taken in September 2004, the second in May 2006.
The technique is now being used on over one million acres of land across the US and can enhance the soil’s organic content in “almost any weather condition”, says Texas agricultural consultant Malcolm Beck. In the June issue of Stockman Grassfarmer magazine, Beck noted that global warming has occurred because the earth’s atmosphere is overloaded with huge amounts of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), released into the air by burning fossil fuels. Plants normally and naturally absorb CO2, but modern agricultural practices and worldwide deforestation have severely reduced their ability to do so.
HMI’s Executive Director, Shannon Horst explains that before modern agricultural methods came into play, it is estimated that the organic content of the soil in the US was between 4 and 8 percent, this has fallen in some cases by more than 50%. Grazing planning and management practices taught by HMI help offset the effects of global warming because they focus on keeping the soil covered and providing grasses with enough time to recover from animal grazing. These practices have also been proven to reduce use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and large equipment that consumes fossil fuels. When a protective cover remains over the soil, the soil’s ability to trap moisture goes up, and this increases the microbial action essential to carbon sequestration. Erosion is reduced, plant roots absorb more water, flood damage is lessened, and healthy habitats are created that increase the diversity of native plant and wildlife species.
HMI is offering farmers and ranchers an introductory weekend workshop in Albuquerque November 3-5, and a yearlong “Range and Ranch Management Training Program” for farmers and ranchers beginning September 16. More information is available from the HMI website.