Biointensive agriculture, a low-cost and low-tech format, could be life-changing for the small farmers of the world, who must earn a living from four acres (two hectares) or less of land, says Ensia. The system uses less fertilizer, water and energy to produce the same amount of food as conventional agriculture, writes Bob Cooper.
“Biointensive’s key components besides transplanting and double-digging are on-site composting, close plant spacing, use of seeds from plants that have been naturally pollinated and specific food-to-compost crop ratios,” says Ensia. The system also is credited with building soil health.
The nonprofit group Ecology Action has brought smallholders to California mini-farms since 2001 for firsthand instruction in the techniques. The main criticism of biointensive agriculture is that it relies excessively on manual labor. Organic gardening pioneer John Jeavons told Ensia, “It’s really more skill-based than labor-based — you work smarter, not harder. When you miniaturize agriculture, you don’t need as much land.”