this post was submitted on 19 Jan 2025
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Plantbased

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Imagine there is a small island, like Malta, and the ecosystem has no external inputs (no fertilizer delivery, etc).

What does a sustainable plant based agriculture system look like? Are there already existing examples?

I'm very interested in how top soil is maintained without external fertilizer inputs?

One area of concern, I have, with modern monocrop farming techniques is the depletion of top soil, with something like 60 crop cycles left before we are current system falls over.

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[–] Enkers@sh.itjust.works 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

I just recently got a book on the topic! (The Veganic Grower's Handbook, by Jimmy Videle)

It's a fairly deep topic, and I've still got a lot to learn, but veganic farming and permaculture is certainly on the rise. There are quite a few small veganic farms spattered all over the place. Iirc, there are several online directories you can find.

Here's a good resource to check out on the theory behind it:
https://goveganic.net/gardening-how-to/veganic-fertility-growing-plants-from-plants/

[–] wolfyvegan@slrpnk.net 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Some other useful resources on sustainable agricultural systems:

It’s a fairly deep topic, and I’ve still got a lot to learn, but veganic farming and permaculture is certainly on the rise. There are quite a few small veganic farms spattered all over the place. Iirc, there are several online directories you can find.

Bee bop boop:

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Yes sorta random, but sorta related too..

https://youtube.com/shorts/1Hb-s4b31ek

[–] wolfyvegan@slrpnk.net 2 points 3 months ago

In short, replicate nature. Any ecosystem given suitable conditions will progress through the natural succession process until it eventually becomes a forest, so in the vast majority of lands suitable for agriculture, a food forest is the solution. By using syntropic agroforestry techniques, soil fertility can actually improve over time.

Examples: