Germans are throwing down their ploughs. Will they learn from us what to pick up instead?

The German Federal Ministry of Agriculture has enacted a law through parliament against plowing, forcing the federal states to map their soils for vulnerability against erosion. According to the law, plowing on erosion-prone soils will be prohibited.

Most of America’s and 20% of the Germany’s soils are already cultivated without the old symbol of agriculture. German farmers’ unions are upset and indeed, most farmers face losses through weeds and pests in the first years. Excessive use of herbicides is seen as solution.

But there’s a better solution. Farmers in Zambia are seeing their yields double in the first season after converting to conservation agriculture and reach up to 700% increase in yield and profits. The integrated organic conservation agriculture approach PELUM is training people in organic conservation farming techniques that manages weeds without synthetic fertilizers or herbicides and results in an organic yield of six tons per hectare of corn.

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