4 ms·
Topsoil loss is a major problem for the environment, but it is worth pointing out that we do not need topsoil to grow food. We have hydroponics and aeroponics
by m0llusk 7y ago
Topsoil loss is a major problem for the environment, but it is worth pointing out that we do not need topsoil to grow food. We have hydroponics and aeroponics and a range of other solutions that do not use land in traditional ways. There is also reason to believe that an increasing fraction of our food will be grown in this way rather than on the land if only because the vast majority of farmable land is already farmed.
- pizzazzaro 7y agoWhere do you think the plants' nutrients come from in those growing methods? Petrochemical plants also set to run out of resources. You're adorable. Look at permaculture food forests and how they rebuild topsoil. While we still can.
- pvaldes 7y ago> Where do you think the plants' nutrients come from in those growing methods? To answer this question we should look inside ourselves
- aliswe 7y agoThat's exceptionally snarky... Btw, are you implying that the aquaponic nutrient additives come from topsoil?
- pizzazzaro 7y agoMostly? We mine minerals and refine them with: Petrochemical sources. Which, you might also worry about running out of, in about as short order as topsoil. There was another commenter here with more expertise on actually growing things this way - they suggested that leafy greens were the only thing we could grow efficiently with this method. Which does have a certain air of "truthiness" to it.
- aliswe 7y agoSorry I misinterpreted your post. I'd like to mention again that your "you're adorable" is very patronizing and disrespectful.
- jasonlaramburu 7y agoOnly crops that are mostly water (lettuce, tomatoes) can be economically grown hydroponically. We need topsoil to grow cereals (corn, wheat etc).
- DocTomoe 7y agoGiven that cereals tend to not be too good for us ... maybe we should limit them anyways?
- jasonlaramburu 7y agoPerhaps but we also use cereals and row crops to feed livestock (corn), make vegetarian protein (soybeans, canola, wheat) and make our clothes (cotton). None of these can be grown hydroponically.
- wampwamp 7y agoHemp gives you all those things and grows extremely well hydroponically.
- nate_meurer 7y agoMore importantly, hemp grows well in poor soils.
- aliswe 7y agoIt's not the water content per se I think, most herbs thrive in this medium as well. Most probably the crops' price and growing speed are the deciding factors. Oh, and check this anecdote out: https://www.thenational.ae/uae/from-paddy-fields-to-uae-deserts-the-farmer-growing-rice-using-hydroponics-1.46990 https://www.thenational.ae/uae/from-paddy-fields-to-uae-dese...
- randyrand 7y agoOnce topsoil is depleted, the economics change drastically. Point is, we won’t starve. But we will need to expend more resources gathering food.