Keeling Curve

Project Summary / Description:

In two years of promoting healthy soil as a means to a healthier planet, we have often been asked what the public can do to support carbon farming. After all, it's not easy for people to assess the environmental impact of their food choices, much less the carbon footprint of one farm relative to another, and as a result, we have fielded many requests for specific shopping recommendations. These questions--which came from chefs and activists as well as teachers and home cooks--sparked our realization that the regenerative agriculture movement needs a simple guide for climate-conscious grocery shopping. 

The Perennial Farming Initiative is in the process of creating an online Healthy Soil Guide that aims to take the guesswork out of sustainable sourcing. Our goal is a simple, visual way of communicating sustainable food choices, along the lines of the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch Guide in terms of clarity and impact, but focused on land rather than sea. We have designed a colorful plant-shaped logo, which provides an attractive visual indicator of soil organic matter percentage, and we are engaged in soliciting, collecting, and collating soil data within the greater Bay Area. Our goal is to expand to a national and eventually international scope and to create a mobile app for use while shopping. Pre-launch web version is currently available at http://www.healthysoilguide.com/

Best Estimate of GHG Avoidance/Reduction of This Project (Tonnes CO2 Equivalent/Year):

Mission Statement:

The Perennial Farming Initiative (PFI) is committed to reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide by increasing soil carbon through regenerative agriculture. Our work includes climate advocacy within the restaurant community; support of agro-ecological farmers and activists; and raising awareness through a range of media, including videos, illustrations, and a shoppers' guide to healthy soil.

PFI champions specific regenerative agricultural practices that increase soil carbon, such as no-till, cover cropping, polyculture, compost application, adaptive multi-paddock grazing, integration of perennial crops, and silvopasture/hedgerows. When farmers and ranchers actively prioritize soil health in these ways, they not only draw down carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but also improve resilience to droughts and floods caused or exacerbated by climate change, and improve the nutrient content (and flavor!) of their produce. The Perennial Farming Initiative aims to popularize the concept of regenerative agriculture, connect consumers with regenerative food sources, and incentivize farmers and ranchers to implement regenerative practices. 

To this end, The Perennial Farming Initiative is creating a Healthy Soil Guide to promote soil organic matter (SOM%) as a climate-friendly value for customers. PFI has also teamed with The Land Institute to champion the perennial grain Kernza; lobbied to pass the California Healthy Soils Initiative; and organized a public tree-planting event at a regenerative cattle ranch, where participants learned about carbon ranching. PFI maintains an urban aquaponic farm, designed to reduce food waste, conserve water, and free up fields for agricultural projects geared toward carbon sequestration. We're all in on healthy soil.

Link: Facebook:

http://healthysoilguide.com http://perennialfarming.org http://theperennialsf.com @theperennialsf http://karendleibowitz.com http://zerofoodprint.org