A major struggle our planet faces in the next half century is how to produce enough food to feed ourselves, and also do so without destroying our planet and filling our waterways with antibiotics, hormones, and waste from these same farms.  Creating a environmentally healthy farming solution, that’s also friendly to the animals and also not artificially manufactured and designed is a huge obstacle for our future.

One of the major causes of climate change, outside of our widespread use of fossil fuels, is actually farms and methane production from livestock. This is a major issue and a difficult one to fix. Solutions have ranged from trying to keep livestock emissions at the farm and used to produce power, as CO2 is a less serious greenhouse gas than methane, or to sequester it underground (an expensive option).

Where FondaTerra Steps In

Our role in this is unclear, but we do have some specific ideas on how to make sure animals are treated well, are allowed to roam free of cages, and also be economically viable. The concept of free range over open fields is likely going to butt up against land prices pretty quickly, however, hydroponics and large industrial buildings could solve these issues.  This is not going to be a cheap option to construct, initially, but it will open up things like poultry to have more space and have sunlight/vegetation. Clear walled buildings of multi-stories allow for the same amount of meat to be produced, in the same area, but in a much more sustainable manner for the environment.

This is not going to be an overnight change, but these structures can be manufactured in a factory and then brought to locations and assembled. They do not need to be built in one off structural projects which will significantly decrease their costs. It will be difficult to enforce these changes without legislative help, and that’s where Fondaterra can offer the most help to the community. By petitioning for politicians to recognize and support these more advanced engineering projects, and helping to provide incentives to farmers to invest in the future of their country, we can take these first steps to a greener production of food.

Controlling Farm Emissions

Another big problem to overcome is the control of farming related emissions from cattle, poultry and livestock. There is not easy solution to these problems, however, there are several that are much easier with this prebuilt structure. Since these structures are enclosed typically, the emissions can be combusted and used as heating or to produce energy (a bit more difficult of a task, but possible).  Either way, combustion of the area is ideal even if the energy is not subsequently used elsewhere, as converting the methane to CO2 severely reduces the impact on the environment and climate change.

We are not set to one idea to solve these important problems here at Fondaterra, yet two major goals need to be kept in the forefront of the conversation. We need a solution that is good for the environment, and allows for people to be fed and do so without damaging waterways, ground water, and cause global warming and are good for the animals.  However, shoot us your ideas and we’ll check out what you have to say about these issues. The projects we want to see happen