Dear Paul O
I completely agree with your characterisation of the resources and the sensible application of them within the local paradigm. It is holistic approaches that underlie all good economics. Thanks Crispin Crispin, You write: I am not so sure how the broad translation of agriwastes into fuel is going to be viewed by the people who promote agriculture. The biodynamic and permaculture people would not like to see all the mulch and humus removed to be turned into cooked food - or char for that matter. I think they tend to see biogas as a way forward because they retain access to the minerals in a digestible form, as it were. Please take a look at this paper: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/22013094/Paper/Summaries/Food%20Crisis.p df The same is summarized in a PowerPoint presentation: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/22013094/Paper/Presentations/Sustainable %20Agriculture.ppsx In this paper I distinguish four type of waste in descending order of nutrient content.The first two types of waste are putrescent, the last two types of waste are non-putrescent. The main idea here is that each type of waste should be transformed and returned to agriculture by means of the most appropriate technology. This gives the highest economic return. Type 1 waste should not be processed as if it were type 2 waste, type 2 waste should not be processed as if it were type 3 or 4 waste, and type 3 waste should not be processed as if it were type 4 waste. In applying these technologies, we produce vermi-compost, mesophilic compost, thermophilic compost and biochar. These different soil enhancers do not compete with one another. Instead they all complement one another in a powerful way. I was compelled to write this paper because I so often saw (and still see) funding agencies lining behind a particular technology in a very narrow manner. Look, for example, at all of the money poured into biogas plants. But does this make sense? I question the wisdom of making fuel out of pig waste (type 2 waste), since there are other technologies that allow us to derive far more income out of this type of waste. If its fuel we need, let us turn to type 4 waste. Many thanks. Paul
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