Vermicomposting: The Future of Sustainable Agriculture and Organic Waste Management Lessons from the USA & Cuba Anna de la Vega Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellow 2016 Vermiculture sign, Finca de Paradise, Pinar del Rio, Cuba, 2016 INDEX SUMMARY The rising economical and environmental cost of agricultural chemicals, coupled with the ever increasing cost of landfill calls for a reorientation of management. The process of utilising surface dwelling species of earthworms to efficiently and ecologically break down organic waste, producing a superior organic fertiliser as a by product, referred to as vermicomposting, is successfully providing sustainable solutions in food production and organic waste management in the USA and Cuba. The integration of vermicomposting in agriculture and mainstream waste management presents economical, environmental and social benefits for the UK, building resilience in response to the impacts of climate change, natural resource depletion, and desertification. INDEX INDEX Introduction 5 1. What is Vermicomposting? 8 Vermicomposting for Agriculture 9 Organic Waste Management 11 Aquaculture and Poultry Farming 14 2. Lessons from the USA 16 Monroe Correctional Facility, Monroe, Washington 16 Portland Community College, Portland, Oregon 19 Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington 20 Worm Power, Rochester, New York 21 The Worm Farm, Durham, California 23 Reflections from the USA 25 3. Lessons from Cuba 27 Vivero Alamar Organoponico, Havana, Cuba 28 Finca de Casimiro, Sancti Spiritus, Cuba 29 Granjita Feliz, Guanacoboa, Cuba 31 Reflections on Cuba 33 4. Actions for the UK 35 Academia 36 Agriculture 37 Diversion of Food Waste 38 Appendices References & Further Reading 40 Itinerary 42 About the author 44 Thanks 46 INDEX The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself. Franklin D. Roosvelt INDEX INTRO Introduction Climate change, natural resource depletion and desertification present very real challenges for the future of food production, within the UK and throughout the world. The foundations of all life are held within the soil, yet for too long our agricultural practices have failed to recognise this interconnection, resulting in alarming levels of topsoil depletion. Every minute we are loosing 35 football pitches of fertile land, equating to the loss of 75 billion metric tons of fertile soil per year (Shiva, 2015). The reality stands that 70% of global topsoil has been lost leaving a mere 60 years before total depletion (Crawford, 2012). Global exploitative industrial agriculture, reliant on the excessive use of agrichemicals is attributed to be the key contributor to the widespread destruction of the soil and is accountable for 50% of total GHG emissions (Koont, 2011). Whilst the invention of synthetic fertiliser was once celebrated as genius, winning the chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch the Nobel Prize in 1918 for doubling crop production, the reality of dependency on limited natural resources undermines national and global food security. The production of the synthetic fertiliser known as NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium) is reliant on the increasingly costly process of mining phosphate rock. Global phosphate reserves are known to reach complete exhaustion within the next 50—100 years, hitting peak extraction by 2030 (Cordell et al, 2009). Since 2006 the price of phosphate has doubled and between 2007—2008 the cost of synthetic fertiliser rose 800% (Tomlinson, 2010) coinciding with the global food crisis leading to riots in 40 countries (Brown, 2011). Due to high levels of depletion the USA and China have halted all exports of the resource, today Morocco hold 80% of the worlds total phosphate reserves, with none to be found in the UK or Europe. PAGE 5 INDEX INTRO There has never been a greater need to address and work towards finding and implementing practical solutions that assist in responding to food insecurities undermined by water scarcity, peak oil, peak phosphate and peak soil. Furthermore we are facing an ever increasing swell of urbanisation, with 2/3 of the worlds population expected to inhabit cities by 2025. Localising food production within the urban environment becomes a necessary component for building food secure cities. Breeding facility, Eisenia Fetida, aka Tiger Worms or Red Wigglers. Monroe Correctional Complex, Monroe, Washington, 2016 It is the belief that harnessing the power of the earthworm to provide the foundations to transform our food system that underpins the purpose of this research. Worm composting, otherwise known as vermicomposting delivers the foundations for building a local organic food movement that simultaneously provides sustainable solutions in organic waste management. As a commercial enterprise vermicomposting in the UK was first introduced in the 1980’s although today it remains to be a relatively under utilised process for managing organic waste and for application in agriculture. Throughout the world however it is gaining great momentum; one facility in Australia is processing 200 tons of human waste a week and India now boasts over 200,000 worm farmers, generating livelihoods and building resilience against the rising cost of synthetic agrochemicals. PAGE 6 INDEX INTRO Here research explored vermicomposting in the USA and Cuba. Research in the USA primarily focused on the application of vermicomposting in institutional onsite organic waste management including visits to mid-large scale commercial worm farms. Although vermicomposting throughout the USA is fast developing and becoming a growing area of enterprise research undertaken focused on the West Coast, an area with the highest density of vermicomposting programmes, with two additional visits to upstate New York. In political and cultural contrast to the USA research in Cuba focused on the role of vermicomposting as an integrated model within agriculture, looking at both urban and rural farming within the private, co-operative and state governed sector. The majority of research was undertaken in La Havana with additional visits to Pinar del Rio and Sancti Spiritus. PAGE 7 INDEX CHAPTER 1 1. What is Vermicomposting? Vermicomposting (vermis from the Latin for worm) is the process of harnessing earthworms to break down organic waste, producing a nutrient rich, organic fertiliser and compost as a byproduct. Worm manure, otherwise known as worm castings or vermicompost is rich in minerals, nutrients and beneficial microorganisms essential for healthy plant growth and disease suppression. Due to the nutritional superiority of worm castings farmers and gardeners often refer to it as ‘Black Gold’, with a particular reference to its high market value. Baby Eisenia Fetida aka Tiger Worms or Red Wigglers, it takes 60 days to reach sexual maturity. Santa Monica Community College, Santa Monica, California, 2016 Among the 8000 known species of earthworm only seven are suitable for use in composting, all belonging to the epigeic category. Throughout the world the most commonly employed species is the Tiger Worm, sometimes referred to as the Red Wiggler or Californian Red (Eisenia Fetida). Native to Europe the Tiger Worm has exceptional adaptability and tolerance to a range of food sources, temperature variation (12—35°) and moisture content (60—90%). A prolific breeder the Tiger Worm has the capacity to double its population every 60 days and consume up to half their body a day, particularly suitable for the application in the management of organic waste. PAGE 8 INDEX CHAPTER 1 Vermicomposting for Agriculture The value and importance of earthworms in agriculture was first recognised in writing by the father of ecology Charles Darwin, who in 1881, one year before his death published his findings in The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Earthworms. With an understanding of the intrinsic relationship between soil health and human sustenance he famously declared. “Worms are powerful than the African Elephant and are more important to the economy than the cow”. Darwin calculated earthworms to produce 10 tons of humus per acre (Darwin, 1945) although Sir Albert Howard, (Howard, 2006) the early pioneer and advocate of organic agriculture later thought this figure to reach 25 tons per acre. There now exists vast volumes of publications on the importance and benefits of earthworms in agriculture and for their role in organic waste management. Notably, and with great relevance earthworms have the capacity to produce one inch of top soil in five year’s, where under natural processes would take 500—1000 years (Oliver, 2009). With global topsoil under severe threat the earthworm has the potential to rebuild what we have lost. Containing a rich nutrient base worm castings boast an abundance of beneficial minerals, nutrients and microorganisms essential for healthy plant growth and disease suppression and supply a necessary source of humus. According to research conducted by the Connecticut Agricultural University worm castings contain 50% more humus, five times more nitrogen, seven times the soluble phosphate, and 11 times more potassium than the average topsoil (Bikle and Montgomery, 2015). PAGE 9 INDEX CHAPTER 1 Table 1. Benefits of Worm Castings Direct Use The only fresh manure not to scorch plants. Seeds can be sown direct in 100% worm castings. Healthy Plant Development Calciferous glands of the earthworm excrete calcium carbonate in worm castings, essential for the development of strong cell walls and for the absorption of nitrogen. Slow Release Concentrated nutrient base that slow releases