However, the opportunity to recycle large quantities of wastes to land opens up further scope to change things for the better. “Wastes” recycled through composting will offer large inputs of humus. Humus contains many hydrocarbons, carbohydrates and proteins. These are insoluble in rainfall. Also,it will attract and hold major amounts of cations (3 or 4 times as much as clay) and it will hold anions (which clay will not do) including nitrates. This humus and the nutrients it holds is not soluble in water. This is why natural ecosystems do not “leak” nitrates and cause pollution. On the other hand, this humus is the feedstock on which much soil micro-organism activity is based. The soil fungi, mycorrhiza, feed on this humus and feed the nutrient directly into the crop roots. Thus, this system does not leak. So, here is the basic mechanism which can eliminate nitrate and phosphate leaching.

The Land Network SEMS programme manages what we now call the humus “bank” and what is in it in terms of nutrients, heavy metals and pollutants. Most “heavy metals” are necessary trace elements which are vital to crop and animal health, including humans. Getting that balance, i.e. having the correct proportion of everything, is a key aim of the programme. There is a further bonus,the SEMS programme lifts organic matter in soils in an organised way in sharp contrast to chemical fertilisers which do nothing to reduce soil erosion from wind and rain.

We can also make a big impact on Global Warming: large quantities of compost to land locks up large quantities of Carbon. Creating a Carbon sink reduces global warming. The opportunity is there to make a difference.