SEKEM‘s Journal for Culture, Economy, Society and Ecology in Egypt

InsightNr. 115 - April 2012

SEKEM Insight | April 2012 | Page 1

Dear Readers,

that bio-dynamic farming, like no other farming practice, can help to turn dry, nutrient-poor soils into fertile arable grounds while protecting the climate, is a point that has often been made here. SEKEM’s knowledge in this field is mostly „know-how“, knowledge that is based on its own practical experience, that is.

In this issue, the scientist Meike Oltmanns familiarizes us with results of her own research in the field and that of the German bio-dynamic research organisation

“Forschungsring”. The Forschun-gsring has been carrying out extensive research in biodynamic farming over many years to make the beneficial effects of deme-ter agriculture - specifically its impact on soil and plants - visible and measurable.

Only a few weeks before the cli-mate summit in Rio de Janeiro named “Rio +20” for short, it is more important than ever to high-light the importance of a change in attitude towards global agricul-ture. Do you have experience in biodynamic agriculture that you would like to share with SEKEM? Then we are looking forward to receiving your letters.

I t is well known that greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide,

methane, and nitrous oxide easily escape into the atmosphere from the ground through its agricultural use. But carbon can also be integrated into, or bound to the dead organic matter in every soil, the humus, which itself consists of 58% carbon. Thus, the car-bon dioxide content of the air can be reduced and climate change slowed. The incorporation of carbon into the soil is called carbon sequestration.

Especially in biodynamic and organic farming practice, humus is considered an essential component of fertile soils. Humus in agricultural soils is created by the microbial decomposition of crop and crop residues, organic fer-tilizers and soil organisms. The exact amount and composition of humus content is strongly dependent on the location and the way the soil is man-aged. The most important factors influencing humus quality include soil type, climate, the type of fertilization

Editorial

Your Team of Editors

Do Biodynamically Cultivated Soils Help Protect Our Climate?

The soils of the earth sequester three times as much carbon as our world’s entire vegetation. Can biodynamic agriculture thus make an effective contribution to climate protection?

DemeterClimate Protection Through Agriculture

Music EducationFlutes for SEKEM’s School Children

SEKEM DayInvitation to Stuttgart‘s SEKEM Day

Find SEKEM also on the Internet at:

SEKEM‘s work for a rejuvenation of the desert soil quickly permits the durable greening of the soils

SEKEM Insight | April 2012 | Page 2

and tillage, and the method of crop rotation.

Positive Effects on the Climate

In a scientific comparison of conven-tional farming employing mineral fer-tilizers with organic and biodynamic agriculture, it could be shown that bio-dynamic agriculture has the most pos-itive impact on the development of the humus content (see illustration above). While its employment saves only an additional 1% more carbon, the other variants of agricultural man-agement actually released the carbon into the atmosphere.

The same result was shown by our own research team in a long-term trial carried out at the Forschungsring (“Circle of Research”) in Darmstadt, Germany. Since 1980, the institution has been examining the benefits of

different kinds of manure with and without the application of biodynamic preparations and mineral fertilizers.

It was found that the humus con-tent in the topsoil is the highest when manure and biodynamic preparations are used in combination (see fig-ure below left, CMBD variant). When manure without preparations (var-iation RM) is used or even a conven-tional method employing mineral fertilizers („Min“), the organic matter content decreases. Eventually none

of the types of fertilizers achieves an increase in the amount of humus, but the variant using manure and prepara-tions does succeed in keeping it at the same level thus preventing the long-term degradation of the topsoil.

Integrated Agricultural Operations on Biodynamic Farms Save on CO2

If we were to replace the mineral fertilizer in the respective variant in our experiment with manure and bio-dynamic preparations, we could sequester about 0.35 tonnes of car-bon per hectare per year in the ground over the course of 20 years. However, the increase of the storage capacity of the humus is limited because the soil will eventually reach saturation and will not be able to store any more car-bon. According to another study, if we were to improve the humus content in the agricultural soils of the European Union through more efficient manage-ment, we could only improve its annual sequestration capacity of anthropo-genic CO2 emissions by about 2%. Thus, although biodynamic agricul-ture is helpful, climate change can best be countered through an avoid-ance of total gas emissions.

However, a farm operating in accord-ance with biodynamic regulations boasts a structure that is by itself highly conducive to improving the cli-mate. Due to its largely closed oper-ational cycles with plant cultivation and animal husbandry in balance, a locally adapted crop rotation scheme, and a tillage system improved by com-posted manure, nutrients are ensured to remain inside a closed resource

cycle. By using legumes in biody-namic farming, as is also practiced in organic agriculture, nitrogen in the air is bound and subsequently used as a potent fertilizer. This saves such farms 50-300 kilograms of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer per acre, a product that would normally have to be pro-duced using a highly energy-intensive production process. By not relying on this kind of fertilizer the greenhouse gases emitted by agriculture could be reduced by a full 20%.

Less Soil Erosion Through Innovative Field Design

Soil erosion is one of the major CO2 polluters. A recent study estimates that the average quantity of agricul-tural land eroding worldwide every year amounts to 6 t/ha. Even if we pre-suppose highly optimistic recharge rates of 0.5-2 t/ha a year, this is not at all sustainable practice. Thus, is beginning to turn into a finite resource just like oil.

However, soils that are biodynam-ically farmed generally have a better aggregate stability and show better aeration, root penetration, and water conductivity. This is due to them being less compact, less clogged, and also less eroded. By undersowing green manure crops that keep the soil cov-ered after harvesting, erosion and nutrient output are further reduced. In addition, many farmers create field margins using hedgerows or other means whereby the surface runoff and wind erosion are once again minimized.

Biodynamic agriculture thus maybe seen as the foundation of an agricul-tural economy of the future: sustain-able and in harmony with nature. But even in this field there is still potential for further reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Meike Oltmanns

Meike Oltmanns is a researcher on demeter agriculture working with the Forschungsring

Darmstadt, Germany.

Economy

More information:http://www.forschungsring.de!

Veränderung der Corg-Gehalte im DOK-Versuch

a

b

ab

bc

c

-30.0 -20.0 -10.0 0.0 10.0

D

O

K + Mist

K + Min

N

% Abweichung vom Corg-Gehalt zu Versuchsbeginn

1998199819981980

00.20.40.60.8

11.2

Ausgangs-situation

RMBD RM MIN

% C

org

Fig 1: Change (%) of the soil-C-content (Corg) in various cultivation systems in 1978-98 relative to the levels at trial inception; D = Biodyn, O = Organic; K + Manure = conv. + manure; K + MIN = conv. + mineral fertilizer; N = unfertilized; Values with different letters differ significantly. (p 0,05)

Fig 2: soil-C-contents (Corg) (% TM) in topsoils after 18 years of manure treatment without (RM) and with preparations (RMBD) as well as minerally fertilized (MIN)

SEKEM Insight | April 2012 | Page 3

I t was once again my curiosity that drove me to find out why and how

such a large number of beautiful bam-boo flutes are currently being played by school children of the SEKEM School. I invited Karin Posthumus, who has been caring for the musical instruments at the SEKEM School for years in her private time, for an inter-view that tells of the stunning achieve-ment personal dedication to helping the poor can bring about.

In 2001, Ms. Posthumus partici-pated in a trip to Egypt, together with friends of the Dutch SEKEM associa-tion. Of course a visit of SEKEM and its school had also been provided for by the organisers. It became immediately clear to Ms. Posthumus: „The children at the school must have flutes to make their own music on“. Her companion, Mieke van Asbek, the chairman of the Dutch circle of friends, thought the same. It was clear to them that Mieke and she would do everything to make it possible that the SEKEM School would receive enough flutes to allow the children to study and play music. Ms. Posthumus spoke with Angela Hofmann, long-term member of SEKEM who had also introduced flute lessons at the SEKEM school, and eve-ryone was enthusiastic about the idea.

The vivid support by the Dutch asso-ciation has brought Karin Posthumus back to SEKEM many times for the past 9 years. She began to even build the bamboo flutes for the school chil-dren with the teachers of the SEKEM School. Many of them are so poor that they could never afford purchasing a flute without this support. The new flutes are not only built in SEKEM but also maintained by the children and their instructors. Sometimes one is dropped and cracks or the corks, which

hold together its parts become moist and have to be replaced. As is sawn, cut, filed, drilled, and glued each flute is restored to its original beautiful sound and through this training the teachers of the SEKEM School become true masters in building and repairing their own musical instruments.

The flutes have originally been developed by Margaret James, a British teacher in the early 20th century, who worked in the slums of London as a social worker. In 1910 by chance she spent a holiday on a Mediterranean island and heard the sound of a very simply designed flute that immedi-ately captured her interest. She took one of them home and began recon-structing it herself in order to under-stand how it was built and if it could be constructed in a way easy enough to be mastered by children.

Since that time, artisan guilds have been created in many European coun-tries educating apprentices, journey-men, and masters in the art of flute construction. Often, only a few of them are entitled to actually build the instruments following strict rules.

At SEKEM’s school, children only play the soprano version of the instru-ment. 7 holes and one window form the basis for its selection of fine tones. The bamboo flute is neither shrill nor loud. The trick is to elicit its sounds with only a very soft blow. This requires practice, a skill many chil-dren at first find difficult to master, which is the reason why they are ini-tially offered the flute without holes to only practice blowing. After a while, a first hole is drilled. When the children

Hole by HoleThe supply of bamboo flutes in use by school children at the SEKEM School has been made possible with the grateful support of the Dutch SEKEM support association. Evelyne Schindler, who supports SEKEM through her personal engagement, tells about the history of the collaboration.

Culture

More information:http://bambusfloetengil.de/ueber.html!

You can visit SEKEM yourself:www.SEKEM-reisen.de www.aventerra.de

have mastered playing it, the second is placed. Their skills improve, hole by hole. When at the beginning of a year many young teachers have to be given basic training, that often requires patience and energy. Alas, they also have to master the process, learn to distinguish rhythm, beat and pitch. An instrument like the flute is played

„with the soul, not physical exertion“, Ms. Posthumus then reminds them. An important step is to first sing what is then later to be played on instrument.

It is of great benefit to SEKEM and its children to receive the gift of the flutes every year again and again. SEKEM and its teachers are grateful to the Dutch friends for their support. They hope that Karin Posthumus will continue to return many times to help bring her gift of music to SEKEM.

Evelyne Schindler

Evelyne Schindler supports the educational work at SEKEM through her personal commitment.

A young SEKEM pupil is playing her flute.

SEKEM Insight | April 2012 | Page 4

Impressions from SEKEM

D uring the last strategy meeting of the World Future Council (WFC) in SEKEM to the advisory board of which Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish serves as councillor, the “Rudolf Steiner-Dove of Peace” was handed over to Jakob von Uexküll, founder of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation and of the World Future

Council. On occasion of the 150th year of birth of Rudolf Steiner Uexküll received the sculpture from the hands of Dr. Abouleish. The artist Richard Hillinger had dedicated one of his bronze doves to Rudolf Steiner on occa-sion of the jubilee year. Since 10 December 2008, the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 30 of his doves “fly” through the world as messengers of peace.

Jakob von Uexküll now serves as another ambassador of the dove of peace that has also rewarded the com-mitment to peace, human rights and democracy of other renowned figures of public life such as Vaclav Havel, Ai Weiwei, or Lech Walesa.

Impressions

SEKEM Insight | April 2012 | Page 5

The German SEKEM support asso-ciation “SEKEM Freunde” invites all supporters, friends, and partners of SEKEM as well as other interested par-ties to its annual “SEKEM Day”. This year’s event will again be held in the Liederhalle Stuttgart, a central loca-tion in downtown Stuttgart.

On the aim of the event the organis-ers state: “We will only overcome the global environmental and social cri-sis through an expansion of our con-sciousness. A new thinking, a new kind of action, creativity, and an abil-ity to cooperate are key to reversing our course. In many places in the world many individuals are already going new ways, creating educational cen-tres as seminal cells to shape a new future. The SEKEM Community is a successful, sustainable development model that encourages our collabo-ration for developing a new future: it created a lush paradise from lifeless desert grounds.

The event is combined with the annual members convention of the SEKEM Freunde and the event will be in German.

Invitation to this Year‘s SEKEM Day in Stuttgart

New Demeter Site on the Internet

News in Brief

Masthead:The editors of SEKEM Insight wish to thank all contributors to this issue.

Editor:Bijan Kafi

Contact:SEKEM-Insightc/o SEKEM HoldingP.O.Box 2834, El Horreya, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt insight@SEKEM.com

Pictures: Seite 1: Maximilian Boes; 4: Evelyne Schindler; 5: SEKEM.

No republication without written consent by the publisher.

The supervisory board of the German GLS Bank has appointed Ulrich Walter as the new chairman. Walter succeeds Paul Mackay as long-standing chair-man of the board. „I‘m looking for-ward to help shape the future of the GLS Bank“, said Walter at the official handover event.

Walter is the founder and manag-ing director of Lebensbaum GmbH, a German producer of organic food prod-ucts, and has experience from serv-ing on various committees and boards including as a director of a bank. He has been serving on the board of the GLS Bank as a member since 2011.

Board and supervisory board of the GLS Bank thanked Mackay for his many years of commitment under-lining in particular his intellectual openness and interpersonal skills, leadership qualities, and entrepre-neurial thinking. Paul Mackay has played a major part in the GLS Bank’s development phases: during its foun-dation stage he has even been general manager of the bank. Since 2004, he has been part of the supervisory board and took over the presidency in 2007. Mackay resigns from his post to stand for election to the board of Weleda AG, a leading producer of organic cosmet-ics and anthroposophical medicines in German.

Axel Janitzki will continue to serve as deputy chairman. Constance Frische, Rolf Kerler, Irene Reifenhäuser, Dr. Beatrix Tappeser and Prof. Götz W. Werner will also remain on the board.

Source: GLS Bank

The new Internet site of demeter that has recently been launched pre-sents itself as an interactive com-munity website. Demeter has taken on the task of transferring the mod-ern look of the highly regarded mag-azine “Demeter Journal” to the web and transform it into a platform for the communication of Demeter Association with consumers, experts and members. „When demeter farms, processors, manufacturers and deal-ers begin to present themselves on the website, we can create a comprehen-sive market overview that will greatly improve transparency for consumers. This way we can improve an under-standing and appreciation of the bio-dynamic economy among people in German-speaking countries”, says CEO Klemens Fischer.

All demeter partners may now start presenting their businesses on the site. Thanks to a simple but compre-hensive search function interested consumers can find points of sale of demeter products. For consumers particularly interested in background information the site also features extensive product information, an event calendar, and a job centre listing employment in biodynamic work con-texts. The demeter journal can also be read fully online and visitors will soon have access to all demeter directives and guidelines.

Demeter is also represented through its platforms on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Source: Demeter

Ulrich Walter Named Chairman of the GLS Bank

More information:http://www.gls.de! More information:

http://www.demeter.de!

More information:http://www.sekem-freunde.de!