SEDE has joined the "4 for 1000" initiative by becoming a partner member and thus confirms its willingness to make agriculture a key player in food security and the fight against climate change.
STORING CARBON IN SOILS
A major player in the production of fertilising materials, SEDE markets more than 800,000 tonnes of compost, thus contributing to the development of the Circular Economy and to limiting the decline in organic matter content in agricultural soils, while combating climate change.
Indeed, the addition of organic matter such as compost enables Carbon to be stored in the soil. An increase of 4‰ per year corresponds to 0.2 tons of carbon/ha/year.
However, repeated inputs of compost over several years make it possible to store about 0.45 tonnes of carbon/ha/year : For example, for an input of the equivalent of 10 tonnes of dry matter of compost with 30% carbon and for 6 applications over 20 years.
Compost inputs are therefore a relevant solution for storing carbon in soils, not to be neglected, alongside agroforestry solutions, permanent cover, reduced tillage, etc...
An increase of 4‰ per year corresponds to 0.2 tonnes of carbon/ha/year.
DEVELOP INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO HELP FARMERS ALONG THIS
It is on the initiative of SEDE, that Veolia Research, in partnership with the University of Colorado, has developed a consulting tool to better understand organic fertilization of soils. This tool called Soil Advisor® is used by SEDE to provide precise advice to farmers on their strategy for supplying organic matter and in particular compost.
SEDE also has the SmartFertiReuse project, which aims to develop an innovative service for the recovery of treated wastewater and optimal fertiliser management to support the agricultural world and local authorities. This is a research and demonstration project for field crop irrigation by sprinkling with treated wastewater. This project is being developed in collaboration with VERI and Veolia Water and also involves INRAE research laboratories, industrial partners and agricultural stakeholders.
What is the "4 for 1000" initiative?
Launched at COP 21 in 2015, the "4 by 1000" initiative consists of offsetting the carbon fluxes emitted into the atmosphere, estimated at 4 billion tonnes, by increasing the carbon stock in soils.1
The "4 per 1000" target aims to show that agriculture, and in particular agricultural soils, can play a crucial role in food security and climate change.
1 In the first 30 centimetres of soil, carbon stocks are estimated at 1,000 billion tonnes. The annual increase in stocks to compensate for the 4 billion tonne flow balance is therefore 4 per 1000, which would help to significantly reduce CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere.