Keeping in mind these considerations let us address the following groundbreaking hypothesis: Is it possible to exempt the livestock from the equation of nature, without breaking the continuity and sustainability of the processes of life?
In order to face up to this challenge, let us first sidetrack and delve somewhat deeper into the matter, focusing our attention on the microcosmos.
In the cycle of plant-animal complementation, herbivores, through their metabolism, contribute to the production of organic matter (manure) which enriches the soil that will feed the next generation of plants. These plants, in turn, will serve as feed for the foraging animals and so on. Therefore, in this particular pas de deux, animals act as humification factors, that is to say, they contribute to the creation of that fine crust on the surface of the land (soil), which hosts the microorganisms that are credited with soil fertility. Manure is produced through the metabolism of animals, which act as hosts for microorganisms residing in their gastrointestinal system and being responsible for their digestion process. Without the plethora of microbs in the gastrointestinal system of animals, digestion would be impossible, metabolism could not operate, and consequently the circular pattern of life-processes would come to a halt. Under this light, the credit we give to the participation of animals and their role in life cycles is, in fact, due to the microorganisms, which “do the dirty work”. As a matter of fact in the realm of natural processes, the ever-active microorganisms – regardless of whether animals are present in the picture or not – are constantly involved in recycling organic matter through the broader cycles of birth, growth, death, decomposition and regeneration of all living organisms – regardless plant or animal – thus giving new opportunities to life.
At this point one should be reminded that Western consumers have generally become addicted to distrusting microorganisms. Even the hearing of terms such as fungi and bacteria trigger negative associations to the mind. However, at a closer look, the absence of many bacteria and fungi from our everyday life – besides their critical participation in the natural life cycles – would deprive our dining table of essential foodstuffs such as bread, the superb variety of cheeses, yogurts, but also beverages such as wine and beer, in the production of which microorganisms play a crucial role through fermentation, to say the least.
In any case, the advent of Western civilization in our homes and lives has been accompanied by corresponding urban legends, one of the strongest and most persistent of which has been that the presence of microbes in our living environment poses a multitude of risks to our health. Although this particular argument does not totally deviate from reality, its obsessive reminder triggers phobic syndromes to the most cursory of us. The common line of defense against this “threat” has to do with the application of all sorts of chemical compounds for the elimination of the microorganisms involved in our surroundings. For this purpose insecticides, fungicides and herbicides are extensively used in farming, the key provider of the vegitative part of our foodstuff, as well as antibiotics are used for animals that, alongside with their products, are part of our metabolic process through the food chain. We also mindlessly use chemical compounds to control microorganisms in the environment or even in our own body. Perhaps delving into the oxymoron underlying the word antibiotics, meaning against life (after the Greek words anti=against and bios=life), could lead to enlightening conclusions about some modern life preconceptions.
In addition to the extensive – one might even say frenzied – use of chemical compounds for the control of microorganisms, alternative techniques based on the use of heat and radiation are also very common. At this point, we are referring to the use of heat as burning or, in more scientific terms, as oxidation. For historical-cultural reasons, the western civilization tends to relate burning with purification. According to this perception and the resulting practices, we can inhibit the growth of microorganisms if, in oxidative processes (in the presence of oxygen), the released heat causes their thermal resistance limits to be exceeded. A typical example of such practice is food pasteurization.
All of the aforementioned methods, among others, aim at eliminating the suspected threat of microbes from the environment, our foodstuffs and our own body, insofar as all microbes are indiscriminately considered dangerous.
As opposed to the foregoing, for those of us who adopt a more open-minded approach regarding the significance of microorganisms in our lives and the possible ways of controlling their behaviour to our advantage, bacteria, fungi and yeasts are not altogether and a priori considered taboos, but certain tribes can be put to use as potential allies in a multitude of daily activities. It goes without saying that our farming philosophy is distancing itself from the unquestioning demonization of all microorganisms. We believe that specific tribes of microorganisms have an inexhaustible potential to enhance the processes of life, sustainability and natural regeneration. However, this by no means implies that all bacteria and fungi are allies and friends. In the realm of microorganisms, one can encounter a number of them being necessary or even critical for life, as well as others that are dangerous or even fatal.
At this point – from the organic farmer’s viewpoint which is of most interest to us – a new perspective opens up for the question we have left on hold: are there any farming methods that can capitalize directly on the beneficial qualities of microorganisms and, if so, are mediators – in this case host animals – still needed for?
We believe that by now the basics of the second part of the question have already been dealt with, insofar as we have come to conclude that we can apply organic practices to farming without implicating animals. They can be fully replaced by beneficial microorganisms, which are anyway credited with the proliferation and preservation of life. In fact, disengagement from the need to include animals in our farming practices liberates us from a multitude of compromises, commitments and side sacrifices, leaving the field open to more creative options.
Regarding the first part of the challenge, there have been several interesting applications, at least one of which has been applied at a global scale with successful results at a commercial level. Its theoretical background claims the novelty of harnessing specific tribes of microorganisms that can co-exist harmoniously and benefit human activities in a variety of applications, including farming, livestock-breeding, personal hygiene and various environmental practices. Nevertheless at this point we deem necessary to clarify that this technology – among others – has not come out of the blue. Familiarization with the beneficial potential of microorganisms has been a time honored tradition in the Far East farming practices, and more specifically – with local variations of the basic theme – those of the Korean peninsula, Japan, the Philippines, Indochina and other local traditions. The interesting thing about these traditions is that their common denominator has been the particular method of cultivating microorganisms, which in the case we are examining – Far East style – relies in the absence of oxygen, since all eastern microorganism culture traditions are based on anaerobic fermentation.
By venturing a definition of anaerobic (homolactic) fermentation, we could indicatively say it is a glycolysis process of basic carbohydrates and mainly glucose within the framework of controlled environmental parameters, primary among them being the absence of oxygen, which favor the proliferation of specific tribes of microorganisms. The metabolic activity of these microorganisms, including certain species of fungi and yeasts but mainly lactic acid bacteria – which are of particular significance to the type of farming that we advocate – consists in converting carbohydrates into lactic acid and some other very important substances.
Lactic acid bacteria represent some of the most important microorganism groups in nature, partly due to their catalytic role in organic matter fermentation. They are responsible for the composition and texture of the final fermentation products and act as natural preservatives. This is achieved through their ability to inhibit pathogenic aerobic bacteria responsible for the oxidative decomposition of organic matter – as in the case of compost – based on the fact that their metabolic products include a great variety of natural preservatives combined with a high concentration of lactic acid, which results in quite low environmental pH values. This very low pH in the environment of lactic acid bacteria acts as a protection shield against pathogenic microbes, inhibiting them from thriving. An equally important quality of lactic acid bacteria is their antioxidant ability to neutralize free oxygen radicals in the form of peroxides through the enzymes they produce.