Industrial Agriculture Relies on Finite Nutrient Recycling

In contrast, conventional industrial agriculture has disrupted this cycle by separating livestock from arable land and concentrating animals in confined facilities. Nutrients from animal manure and plant material are no longer recycled locally but instead mineral fertilizers extracted from non-renewable reserves must be manufactured and transported over long distances as replacements. The rates at which key nutrients like phosphate are being mined from depleting reserves are concerning agricultural sustainability in the long run as world population and demand for food continue rising.

On-farm Composting Returns Nutrients to the Soil

Thankfully, innovative farmers are finding ways to emulate natural nutrient cycling principles even within intensive agricultural systems. Nutrient Recycling Strategies like on-farm composting allow nutrients contained in manure, crop residues and food waste to be concentrated and broken down by microbes into a rich soil amendment. When applied back to fields, compost releases nutrients in a balanced, plant-available form while improving soil structure and water retention capacity. Composting essentially closes the local nutrient loop and reduces agriculture's dependence on mineral fertilizers.

Anaerobic Digestion Produces Renewable Energy and Fertilizer

Some farms are taking nutrient recycle a step further through anaerobic digestion. In digesters, microorganisms break down biodegradable material like manure in the absence of oxygen to produce biogas, a renewable energy source. The leftover digestate is an even more nutrient-rich fertilizer than raw manure due to enhanced bioavailability during the digestion process. Using this "fertilizer byproduct" offers a triple win by recycling farm nutrients, offsetting fossil fuel use with renewable biogas, and generating extra revenue from renewable energy production and fertilizer sales.

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