wolfyvegan
Syntropic agriculture practices achieve this and some semblance of a forest at the same time. Chop and drop. Smother the grass with mulch.
As others have suggested, shade out the bullshit with a diverse array of fruit trees and other useful vegetation in order to reclaim the land and grow an abundance of food at the same time. Even if you can't devote much time and energy to it, planting some vigorous (ideally native) pioneer species and hardy fruit trees and then just tossing seeds in there on a regular basis will go a long way toward exterminating the grass. I also second the recommendation of clover as a groundcover.
Where does the biomass come from that’s being referenced?
Referenced where exactly? Biomass in humanure comes from... well, your rear end. Biomass in syntropic agriculture is formed through photosynthesis, either in the plants deliberately grown on the farm or in native species used for chop-and-drop.
Is external fertilizer needed after the food for us to set up?
Unless the soil is severely depleted of micronutrients (e.g. calcium, magnesium, trace minerals), no external fertiliser should be required. Carbon comes from photosynthesis, nitrogen comes from microbial fixation, and phosphorus and potassium are usually not the limiting nutrients, but even in areas where they are, the only fertiliser needed to replenish them is ash. All of the people destroying the forest for fuelwood and charcoal are making plenty of fertiliser for you to use! (I'm not familiar with Malta specifically, but there seems to be some of this happening there as well.)
Is it self-sustaining, or does it need external inputs?
Ideally, a syntropic farm should cycle nutrients similarly to natural forest. Is a forest ecosystem self-sustaining, or does it need external inputs?
My understanding is that manure, and the crop rotation (three field system) both rely on animals; Does composting provide enough to replenish the soil sustainably?
No animal exploitation necessary. Humanure can return fertility to the soil, and syntropic agriculture takes a successional approach to crop rotation, building fertility over time.
In short, replicate nature. Any ecosystem given suitable conditions will progress through the natural succession process until it eventually becomes a forest, so in the vast majority of lands suitable for agriculture, a food forest is the solution. By using syntropic agroforestry techniques, soil fertility can actually improve over time.
Examples:
Some other useful resources on sustainable agricultural systems:
- https://goveganic.net/article19.html
- https://www.phoenixzonesinitiative.org/resource/vegan-permaculture/
- https://annas-archive.org/md5/3fb1955bfa0002ac3bab2bb28336d71b
- https://adam.nz/syntropy
It’s a fairly deep topic, and I’ve still got a lot to learn, but veganic farming and permaculture is certainly on the rise. There are quite a few small veganic farms spattered all over the place. Iirc, there are several online directories you can find.
Bee bop boop:
But if you don't plant trees, there will continue to be droughts, as trees help to regulate humidity and precipitation. Farmers in drought-prone areas actually plant trees (agroforestry) in order to reduce crop losses due to drought. Even in urban areas, planting trees (especially natives) can have many benefits for reducing the impact of drought. Of course, a diverse forest ecosystem would be most resilient.
You might appreciate this: https://slrpnk.net/post/20138177