Dirt
Posted: 25 Jun 2021, 10:27
'Make soil sexy': Supermodel Arizona Muse debuts biodynamic farming initiative
New non-profit, Dirt, aims to promote biodynamic farming principles and reduce the environmental footprint of food, fibre, and wool production
Soil is suddenly in fashion. Supermodel and environmental activist Arizona Muse has this morning officially launched a new charity dedicated to expanding the reach of biodynamic agricultural practices, a type of organic farming popular among grape growers, to new sectors and geographies.
Dubbed Dirt, the new group aims to promote biodynamic farming by funding scientific research, education programmes, demonstration and conversion projects, as well as new and existing industry networks and associations.
As both demand for organic produce and public awareness of the role of soil in protecting biodiversity and tackling the climate crisis grows, there is an opportunity to promote biodynamic farming in the food, fibre, and wool sectors, according to the non-profit.
The holistic approach to land management has "ecological, social and economic stability at its heart", it said, because it aims to boost biodiversity, community well-being, and soil health.
Biodynamic farming avoids the development of monocultures and chemical soil treatments known to wipe out biological activity in soil and instead relies on compost treated with plant-based - or biodynamic - preparations that are designed to replenish and enhance soil fertility. Research has found this approach allows soils to sequester significantly more carbon than conventional and organic approaches and boosts the nutritional value of crops.
However, the approach has been criticised by some horticultural experts as a fad, with detractors sceptical of its origins in farming linked to the lunar calendar and its use of atypical ingredients and techniques for some of its soil treatments.
But Muse, who has led a series of campaigns in recent years to encourage the fashion industry to embrace sustainability best practices, stressed that a pivot towards biodyamic farming could help the food and fashion sectors reduce their environmental impact. "From the food we eat to the clothes we wear, almost everything we rely on as human beings originates from the soil," she said. "Yet our disregard for this precious resource means we risk destroying one of our best solutions to the climate crisis. The food sector is catching on, but the apparel industry is fashionably late to the party."
"Dirt will help make soil sexy," she added.
Biodynamic farming has been subject to certification from Demeter International for nearly 100 years, a standard that Muse said would provide farmers, consumers, and buyers with a level of quality assurance that does not currently exist for regenerative agriculture, a similarly nature-focused approach to farming and soil regeneration which has been backed by a number of major corporates in recent years.
"Dirt gives the opportunity for businesses that understand how they have damaged soils in the past to give back to the planet with certainty," she said. "It also offers a path to a better quality of life for the farmers who are too often overlooked despite their huge contribution to the economy and society."
Funding for the charity will initially be raised from the fashion industry and environmentalists, and from 2022, the organisation will explore projects with other industries, including beauty and jewellery, according to an update from the new group.
New non-profit, Dirt, aims to promote biodynamic farming principles and reduce the environmental footprint of food, fibre, and wool production
Soil is suddenly in fashion. Supermodel and environmental activist Arizona Muse has this morning officially launched a new charity dedicated to expanding the reach of biodynamic agricultural practices, a type of organic farming popular among grape growers, to new sectors and geographies.
Dubbed Dirt, the new group aims to promote biodynamic farming by funding scientific research, education programmes, demonstration and conversion projects, as well as new and existing industry networks and associations.
As both demand for organic produce and public awareness of the role of soil in protecting biodiversity and tackling the climate crisis grows, there is an opportunity to promote biodynamic farming in the food, fibre, and wool sectors, according to the non-profit.
The holistic approach to land management has "ecological, social and economic stability at its heart", it said, because it aims to boost biodiversity, community well-being, and soil health.
Biodynamic farming avoids the development of monocultures and chemical soil treatments known to wipe out biological activity in soil and instead relies on compost treated with plant-based - or biodynamic - preparations that are designed to replenish and enhance soil fertility. Research has found this approach allows soils to sequester significantly more carbon than conventional and organic approaches and boosts the nutritional value of crops.
However, the approach has been criticised by some horticultural experts as a fad, with detractors sceptical of its origins in farming linked to the lunar calendar and its use of atypical ingredients and techniques for some of its soil treatments.
But Muse, who has led a series of campaigns in recent years to encourage the fashion industry to embrace sustainability best practices, stressed that a pivot towards biodyamic farming could help the food and fashion sectors reduce their environmental impact. "From the food we eat to the clothes we wear, almost everything we rely on as human beings originates from the soil," she said. "Yet our disregard for this precious resource means we risk destroying one of our best solutions to the climate crisis. The food sector is catching on, but the apparel industry is fashionably late to the party."
"Dirt will help make soil sexy," she added.
Biodynamic farming has been subject to certification from Demeter International for nearly 100 years, a standard that Muse said would provide farmers, consumers, and buyers with a level of quality assurance that does not currently exist for regenerative agriculture, a similarly nature-focused approach to farming and soil regeneration which has been backed by a number of major corporates in recent years.
"Dirt gives the opportunity for businesses that understand how they have damaged soils in the past to give back to the planet with certainty," she said. "It also offers a path to a better quality of life for the farmers who are too often overlooked despite their huge contribution to the economy and society."
Funding for the charity will initially be raised from the fashion industry and environmentalists, and from 2022, the organisation will explore projects with other industries, including beauty and jewellery, according to an update from the new group.