Can permaculture help us to grow food in otherwise non-agricultural lands this century?
Basically, the big problem we are facing is drastic losses of global agricultural topsoils, combined with a population that is expected to reach 9 or 10 billion this century, as well as a climate crisis. Naturally then, the big question is how do we feed all of them? And how do we do so in a sustainable manner that doesn't just kick the problem down the road by a few decades?
One idea that seems interesting to me, especially in the context of a warming climate, is using places like the Canadian Shield for regenerative, soil-building agriculture. Currently, there is next to zero agriculture in the Canadian Shield due to very thin, rocky soils. But perhaps permacultural practices like silvopasture, biochar, and hugelkultur could do a lot to both produce much-needed food and build soil for future croplands. Silvopasture especially seems suited for this, as you could plant native fruit, nut, syrup, and timber trees on the rocky, hilly terrain, then the grass and grazing livestock could help build soils (as grasslands tend to be great at doing).
So my questions are:
- Is this a viable and/or worthwhile strategy to pursue?
- How much food could we expect to produce like this?
- How long would we have to do this to build enough soil for cropland?
- What other impacts (good or bad) could this have?
Basically, the big problem we are facing is drastic losses of global agricultural topsoils, combined with a population that is expected to reach 9 or 10 billion this century, as well as a climate crisis. Naturally then, the big question is how do we feed all of them? And how do we do so in a sustainable manner that doesn't just kick the problem down the road by a few decades?
One idea that seems interesting to me, especially in the context of a warming climate, is using places like the Canadian Shield for regenerative, soil-building agriculture. Currently, there is next to zero agriculture in the Canadian Shield due to very thin, rocky soils. But perhaps permacultural practices like silvopasture, biochar, and hugelkultur could do a lot to both produce much-needed food and build soil for future croplands. Silvopasture especially seems suited for this, as you could plant native fruit, nut, syrup, and timber trees on the rocky, hilly terrain, then the grass and grazing livestock could help build soils (as grasslands tend to be great at doing).
So my questions are:
- Is this a viable and/or worthwhile strategy to pursue?
- How much food could we expect to produce like this?
- How long would we have to do this to build enough soil for cropland?
- What other impacts (good or bad) could this have?