 | We’re not in Paris anymore, Toto! Today, I woke up in Montpellier after an exciting high speed train journey last night with my two amazing guides. Following a quick visit to Montpellier's main plaza, we headed off by tram to Agropolis International to meet those responsible for the famous “4 pour 1000” soil initiative launched at COP21 in 2015. I remember the moment at the Paris climate conference when this initiative was brought to the world’s attention. At the time, I was skeptical as to whether “4 pour 1000” was green genius or green washing, so this week, I asked to meet the scientists behind it to find out for myself. |
| While “4 per 1000” may sound more like a diet yogurt than science, the idea of the initiative is to increase the carbon content in soil globally by 0.4% per year. By doing so, we could offset all the carbon dioxide emissions we currently burn to the atmosphere. Theoretically, this is possible. If you consider climate change as a giant, global math problem, soil carbon could help to balance the equation. |  |
Our soil can hold 2-3 times more carbon than the atmosphere in the form of organic material. Greater carbon content helps soils to not only mitigate against climate change but also to retain water, reduce erosion and adapt to drought and climate change better, thus providing us with more food.
I was impressed with the explanation given to me by Dr. Paul Luu, Executive Secretary of the 4 pour 1000 initiative and Director of Agropolis International (also our incredible host for the day). Dr. Luu did his PhD research in Sri Lanka studying agroforestry and is passionate about agroecology and botany. His teams’ approach was a welcoming blend of science, agriculture, policy and pragmatism with a strong focus on improving soil carbon in the global South, which have many natural “hotspots” for carbon storage potential and biodiversity richness. The initiative has grown to more than 672 signatories based in 50 different since its launch in 2015, demonstrating its success in capturing public and academic attention.
What I liked most about the 4 per 1000 concept is that it is not a one-size-fits-all idea. There are many ways we can increase the carbon content of soil, including many type of farming practices. From conservation and regenerative agriculture to agroforestry, every effort to be less reliant on chemical inputs and use local resources is a win. The United Nations has defined 13 principles for agroecology, but many of them could be applied to our own back gardens or parks too, like using local compost and natural, organic fertilizers.
Ironically, I recently helped Diageo (Guinness) judge the sustainability category for their annual malted barley awards, and I was struck by how many farmers applied with great initiatives to improve the soil carbon on their farms. Unfortunately, only one applicant could win the award and receive recognition for all that hard work, which made me a bit sad as almost all of the applicants deserved to have their stories told. It struck me today how something like a “4 per 1000” label or affiliation could give good farmers kind of endorsement they deserve. There are a lot of different ways such an initiative could help to raise awareness about the importance of soil health and its role in helping with climate change, but with so few staff and such limited budget, it’s difficult to know where “4 pour 1000” should focus their energy to make the most impact.
I have the same dilemma in my own climate work, sending me into panic a few times a week when the climate problem seems so vast that it’s hard to know where best to focus efforts to make a difference. I’m hoping this trip will provide me with some new insights answer that question. Already I can see that by meeting so many exceptionally talented people in a variety of areas, I’m more able to see how my own strengths can compliment others’ and build on existing work. Maybe that’s the point of the whole trip, but I’m still nowhere near finding the answer. Time for a food break...
| | After lengthy discussions with the several institutional representatives involved in 4 pour 1000, Dr. Luu took us to one of his favorite local restaurants for what was my best traditional French lunch yet. Local, seasonal wine and food is an absolute passion for the French, and I couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement gushing from my colleagues over every decision about what touched our precious palates. |
Fun facts I learned about sparkling water over lunch: Perrier sells a version with smaller bubbles (“fines bulles”) to appeal to those who find the bubbles in their original flavour too big! Even more fun fact - The city of Paris has free sparkling water fountains in parks so that everyone in Paris has the #RightToSparklingWater (plastic free, bien sur)!
| Fortunately, we walked off some of that lunch over a tour of CRNI’s Ecotron facility, where Scientific Director Alexandru Milcu explained the centre’s role in simulating real world and future climatic conditions to see how different plant species and soil organisms respond to a variety of conditions. It’s a one of a kind, impressive facility that allows us to see how nature might adapt to climate change or to help us understand more about the environmental conditions in past climates. Alex was particularly excited about the research they hope to undertake soon on basalt waste powder from the mining sector as a possible amendment that could help store much more carbon in soil and help us achieve that “4 pour 1000” goal in some parts of the world. | |
 | From there, we headed to the ARCAD platform – a new research facility that stores and studies hundreds of varieties of seeds for cultivated food and energy crops used in the Mediterranean and tropical regions. This research allows us to understand what plant varieties will provide the most nutrition and resilience in a changing climate. It was exciting to be one of the first guests at the facility and see the state-of-the-art technology used to store and analyze seeds. |
The surprise seed of the tour for me was Fonio, an ancient grain grown in West Africa that’s high in iron and contains all 20 amino acids (rare for a non-animal based product). It’s something I’ve never heard of but will be looking out for in the future as a healthier substitute for rice.
As I write, I’m back on the train to Paris, traveling at over 300 km per hour, hoping for a good nights’ sleep before more learning (and eating) tomorrow, including meetings with Government officials, lunch at one of Paris’ famous school canteens, and a trip to a dairy farm in case I was missing the sites (and smells) of home. My guide has brought out the whiskey and Christmas lights for our train table again, and it already feels like today was just a dream of “science and soil and seeds, oh my!”.
 | A demain, keep fighting the good fight! -Cara |
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