Two
reasons : To be environmentally responsible, and also
to enhance our quality of life by improving our gardens, food
and ecology.
Reconnecting
our waste back to the soil (the way nature has done things for
millions of years) will regenerate soil fertility and help us
grow food of great nutritional value.
Consider
how about 30-45% of domestic waste is organic matter.
People
think inorganic waste is the only problem, but organic
waste unfortunately causes huge environmental problems when
it is put in landfill sites.
Along
with segregating and recycling our non-organic waste, we
need to find a way of dealing with the organic matter.
Now the problem with simply throwing it in a normal compost
bin or heap is its filthy and stinky - it creates flies, maggots,
attracts rats, produces methane and ammonia. All that potential
nutrient and mineral energy in the food is lost.
This is because the organic matter in these conditions is
putrefying under pathogenic bacteria processes. However, consider
how, with the application of natural microbes, the degrading
process can be guided toward one of fermentation -
like the way yogurt, cheese, soysauce and saukraut is made.
Fermenting
the matter removes all the problems of pathogenic bactera
and greenhouse gasses and disgusting smells from the process,
simply by the addition of 'bokashi' (malted
bran) into a specially designed anaerobic bucket.
The
fermented matter produces abundant amounts of nutrients and
antioxidants which revitalise soil, passively impart health
to organisms and may well be the way toward a high yield organic
agriculture, once the interconnectivity between this domestic
resource and bioregional food production is made.
 |
| The
difference between Fermentation and Putrefaction |
There
are also many anecdotes from Japan where the technology originated
and has gone broadband about quite amazing wildlife regeneration
from the use of this method. The probiotic
(em, kyusei) method goes way beyond compost, this is actually
a regenerative system that can help heal ecosystems and change
the way we interact with the earth.
The
class of technology that probiotic composting fits under
is 'bioremediation'.
Why
Do I Keep hearing the term "EM" on this site ?
The
probiotic mixture used to make bokashi and turn food waste
into super-soil is sometimes known as 'EM', 'efficient
microbes/effective microorganisms' or 'probiotics', refering
to a mixed microbial culture of selected species of microorganisms
such as lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, photosynthetic bacteria
and actinomycetes. All of these are natural, non-gm, and mutually
compatible with one another and coexist in liquid culture.
When
applied straight to soil as an inoculant, these microorganisms
function cooperatively to exert beneficial effects on soil
quality. Some of the microorganisms in EM are known to produce
bioactive substances such as vitamins, hormones, enzymes,
antioxidants and antibiotics that can directly, or indirectly
enhance plant growth and protection.
It
has also many uses for environmental applications such as
silage treatment, septic tanks, animal husbandry, hygiene,
and medicine. Explore the
site to learn more.
