Animals do not create nitrates. Plants do. Instead of manure, rotational or simultaneous plant cropping can fertilize the soil. Documented in ancient Greek, Chinese, Indian, and Native American texts.
Although organic farming does not use synthetic fertilizers, it can use animal bone char, dried animal blood, or manure. Using manure in agriculture threatens to accelerate antibiotic resistance. It also causes zoonotic diseases like salmonella poisoning every so often.
Video from Apocalypse Cow: Tolhurst Organic in Oxfordshire, UK, is a great example of a self-sustaining farm that has not used any manure or fertilizer for 30+ years.
In switching to a plant-based diet, we could make use of a neat synergy. Nitrates are a key part of soil fertilizer. Most protein crops – peas and beans – capture nitrogen from the air, fertilizing themselves and raising nitrate levels in the soil that subsequent crops, such as cereals and oilseeds, can use. [The Guardian]. So many farms already doing this, find one near you. Learn more about how veganic farming supports the SDGs.
