EPISODE SUMMARY

While we will continue to make new episodes, there are times when we feel the urge to highlight a past episode - because the topic it covers becomes news and the show shares some great insights, or because it is content that our newer listeners might have missed out on. Since last year was the International Year of Soils, we will be republishing a few of our best episodes about soil and soil health to get a fresh perspective in light of all the progress that has been made on the issue.

Today's retro episode is about the circular economy, and how it can benefit our soils. Our guest is industrial and environmental economist Robin Murray. As a zero waste pioneer and a leader in the fair trade and environmental movements for many years, Robin Murray had an excellent perspective to give on our current efforts in making soil health a priority and the circular economy a reality. We discuss the opportunities we have for building a movement to change our current economic model to a more sustainable one, including existing models that we can learn from, the importance of education and centers of learning for the movement, and the roadblocks we might face along the way.

#41: [Retrospective] Soil Crisis #2: Soil & The Circular Economy: Building A Movement

While we will continue to make new episodes, there are times when we feel the urge to highlight a past episode - because the topic it covers becomes news and the show shares some great insights, or because it is content that our newer listeners might have missed out on. Since last year was the International Year of Soils, we will be republishing a few of our best episodes about soil and soil health to get a fresh perspective in light of all the progress that has been made on the issue.

Today's retro episode is all about policy, and the Australian experience.

Our guests are former Governor General of Australia and Advocate for Soil Health, Major General Michael Jeffery, and co-founder of Ylad Living Soils Rhonda Daly. In this episode we discover the crucial elements needed to build a comprehensive policy framework that will protect not only our soils but our landscapes. We look at the current Australian system, soil health, incentives for compost production, farm management practices, and the need to change our systems in order to better reward and support our land managers – the stewards of the earth. We then link this back to the current recommendations made by the FAO's report Status of the World's Soil Resources.

Photo by suburbanbloke / CC BY

#42: [Retrospective] Drought Special #3: Fighting A Drought: Levers for the Public Sector

While we will continue to make new episodes, there are times when we feel the urge to highlight a past episode - because the topic it covers becomes news and the show shares some great insights, or because it is content that our newer listeners might have missed out on. Since last year was the International Year of Soils, we will be republishing a few of our best episodes about soil and soil health to get a fresh perspective in light of all the progress that has been made on the issue.

To round-off the series, we're ending with a in-depth look at a popular and very effective sustainable agricultural technique: cover cropping. In episode 16 of our show, we had with us Bob Cannard and Bob Shaffer - both experienced sustainable farmers and horticulturalists. They shared their techniques with us, explained just how cover cropping works and how beneficial it can be, and gave us their expert advice. We learned a lot about cover crops in making this episode, and if you're wondering after the last two episodes, just what exactly the sustainable agricultural techniques might look like that we need to start pushing for - this is the episode for you.

Photo by Robert Reed, courtesy of Recology.

TOS43: [Retrospective] Vineyards Special #1: The Wonders of Cover Crops

In this two-part episode we discuss what role compost, soil, and agriculture played during the COP21 climate talks last year, and review what has been happening since, with COP22 just around the corner. We'll also be sharing insights from the International Compost Roundtable - a side event that took place during COP21, with speakers Zero Waste Europe's Enzo Favoini, climate change advisor Calla Rose Ostrander, and Teresa Anderson of Action Aid.

We cover the dangers of language and how it can lead to greenwashing and bad policy, challenges with measuring results with soil carbon sequestration, how the attention on soil & agriculture translated into action, how our policy frameworks need to change, and much more.

MADE POSSIBLE BY BIOBIN®
BiobiN® is a mobile, on-site organic/wet material management solution that starts the composting process and effectively manages odour from putrescible waste. BiobiN® can be used in a variety of outlets, including food manufacturing, restaurants, shopping centres, supermarkets…it’s endless. Wherever organic or wet materials are generated, BiobiN® is THE solution. For more, visit their website: http://www.biobin.net/

Forages in Tanzania: making trade-offs. By CIAT. Some Rights Reserved. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ciat/28777627920/

TOS44: Soils, Compost and Climate Change #1: From COP21 To Now

In part two of our climate talks episode, we're delving deeper into the main discussion points, the challenges, and the dangers we're facing right now in making agriculture and soil a key player in climate change strategies. By the end, we should have a decent overview of the situation and will be all set for COP22. We'll also be sharing insights from the International Compost Roundtable - a side event that took place during COP21, with speakers Enzo Favoino of Zero Waste Europe, climate change advisor Calla Rose Ostrander, and Teresa Anderson of Action Aid.

We discuss: the latest developments from the SBSTA, the issues with linking soil carbon sequestration with cutting emissions, the dangers of greenwashing, and how to support compost markets in a fair, sustainable way.

MADE POSSIBLE BY BIOBIN®
BiobiN® is a mobile, on-site organic/wet material management solution that starts the composting process and effectively manages odour from putrescible waste. BiobiN® can be used in a variety of outlets, including food manufacturing, restaurants, shopping centres, supermarkets…it’s endless. Wherever organic or wet materials are generated, BiobiN® is THE solution. For more, visit their website: www.biobin.net/

Picture attribution:
Forages in Rwanda. By CIAT. Some Rights Reserved.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ciat/27191635216/in/album-72157668465383042/

TOS45: Soils, Compost and Climate Change #2: From COP21 To Now

Welcome to the bite-sized podcast series that shares success stories from the field of recycling, composting and organics. We interview experts and key figures on a whole range of topics including zero waste initiatives, managing composting facilities, separate collection schemes for organics, cover crop use in vineyards and much more!

Our show is a complementary resource to our online learning centre at TheOrganicStream.org.

The Organic Stream