The problem
Conventional agriculture is overloaded with chemical fertilizers and plant protection chemicals used to protect crops against pests. Unfortunately, this model of agricultural production gives rise to three main problems:
Increased incidence of pests
The chemicals only work in the short term and kill the microorganisms that naturally live in the soil and protect the crops. In addition, due to the saturation of chemicals, pests develop resistance to the chemicals, which cannot be eliminated even by the most powerful poisons.
Environmental pollution
Chemicals contribute to the greenhouse effect, contaminate aquifers, and present a health risk to both farmers and end consumers.
Declining food quality
The use of chemicals on crops results in lower food quality, which can lead to possible adverse effects on human health.
the solution
NOSTOC is a company in the agricultural sector whose mission is to transform traditional agriculture into a more sustainable activity. To this end, they manufacture fertilizers, protectors, manures and natural stimulants based on microorganisms that help to improve the health of the soil and its plants.
NOSTOC uses the benefits of worm humus to provide complete nutrition, improving productivity and resistance in plantations and reducing chemical fertilization applied to crops by an average of 20%.
NOSTOC's products are certified as organic on an annual basis, and help other end products, such as food, to become organic through their use.
the sustainable development goals
SDG 12: Responsible production and consumption: NOSTOC promotes more sustainable agriculture by producing and marketing live products derived from worm humus. NOSTOC's activity impacts on targets 12.2: to achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources and 12.4: to achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize adverse effects on human health and the environment.
SDG 13: Climate action: NOSTOC contributes to an environmentally friendly competitive agriculture, which allows the reduction of nitrous oxide emissions into the atmosphere. NOSTOC's activity impacts on targets 13.1: to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related risks and natural disasters in all countries, and 13.3: to improve education, awareness and human and institutional capacity for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
SDG 15: Life on land: NOSTOC's products contribute to the development of environmentally friendly agriculture and thus preserve the health of terrestrial ecosystems. NOSTOC's activity impacts on targets 15.1: Ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, and 15.3: Combat desertification, rehabilitate degraded land and soil, and work towards a world with neutral land degradation.
HOW DO WE MEASURE IMPACT?
Reduction in the application of chemicals in agriculture
We measure the litres of chemical fertilizers and phytosanitary products that have been avoided in the crops thanks to the use of NOSTOC products.
Reduction of the emission of nitrous oxide (N2O)
We measure avoided N2O emissions, based on the international agreement adopted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Nitrous oxide is 298 times more harmful than CO2.
Improving the general health of the crop
We measure the improvement in the general health of the crop through the reduction of chemicals. This indicator is evaluated on the basis of surveys of NOSTOC's farmer customers.
