Conventional v. Creative? The Father of Vetiver weighs in.

John Greenfield, the author of the groundbreaking Green Book, Vetiver: The Thin Green Line Against Erosion, and the "Father of Vetiver," just posted his views about well-intentioned but misguided efforts to help developing countries conserve soil and water.  They're well worth considering:
Misguided Aid to the Third World: the ‘Poverty’ Gap

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” It most certainly is.

Eighty percent of Third World poverty occurs among rainfed farmers and their extended families in the tropics. More than 40 years spent on the ground in these countries exposed me to a huge variety of well-intentioned aid agencies, donor countries and myriad alphabet agencies from the United Nations.  Their  researchers, engineers and theoretical economists have battled for decades, and battle today, to develop a workable solution to the poverty and hunger in these areas. I've met many outstanding individuals over the years, but these brilliant minds are no match for the lack of coordination and different demands and agendas of the many and varied donor agencies involved in every developing country.

Donor countries with no experience in the tropics send their "experts" into the field and make multi-million dollar investment in schemes that are doomed to failure right from the start. Government heads and UN departments listen to economists who lack field experience and allocate aid according to textbook assumptions.

A major reason for near universal failure is the myth perpetrated by successions of aid experts from developed countries that the poverty of subsistence farmers resulted from a complex historical process that does not lend itself to simple or quick solutions. Economists are injected to explain the situation, anthropologists to analyse farmers’ needs, and then engineers to construct interventions developed for temperate climes, all without seeming to reach an understanding of the basic problem. However, an interesting historical fact is that very advanced agricultural civilizations developed and flourished in some of the most arid zones of the world – in the Near East, North Africa and Central America – and then disappeared, either because they failed to conserve precious soil, water, and fuel wood, or because they employed irrigation schemes that lacked a drainage component, and ultimately salinized the most fertile alluvial areas.

The world’s population is growing at a rate close to two percent annually, and by as much as four percent in parts of Africa. Typically there are two methods of farming – irrigated and rainfed.  Irrigated land accounts for about 20% of worldwide cultivation and 40% of global crop production. However, the cost of irrigation and drainage in the 1990s averaged around $10,000/hectare but could be as high as $25,000/hectare in the drier parts of Africa. Can developing countries really be expected to establish and maintain irrigated agriculture?

No. 

It's quite obvious that the additional food production needed in future years must come from the 80% of cultivated land that is rainfed.  The only way to address the hunger and poverty situation on a sustainable basis for subsistence farmers in the tropics is through moisture conservation, specifically by controlling runoff and making the best use of the rainfall in an area. Because of increased pressure on the land, the average subsistence rainfed farmer today, loses as much as 60% of his rainfall as runoff to the drainage network, which also causes major flooding in delta areas (Bangladesh, for instance). The runoff also carries off his soil and any remaining nutrients. Annual rainfall of 1000mm is thus reduced to an effective rainfall of only 400mm, which, if it arrives at sporadic intervals, cannot sustain a good crop, and another “drought” is declared.

Over the years, many organizations have recognized the need to control runoff and resulting soil erosion and loss and have invested a lot of effort and money in rainfed regions to address the problem mechanically, employing a battery of engineering "solutions." Contour banks, diversion banks, absorption banks, waterways, retainer walls, gabions, low dams and water harvesting schemes have proven to be unsustainable in the long term. The subsistence farmer lacks the equipment and labour required to maintain such interventions, and also takes issue with the amount of productive land taken out of production by such schemes.

The upshot is that all of this aid into rainfed areas has increased erosion, compromised production which reduces food and water, and increases poverty.  The increased runoff doesn't recharge the underground aquifers that supplied fresh water to village wells or sustained perennial streams, and the resulting floods are becoming horrendous.

Lesotho, a little country in Southern Africa, is a classic example of a well-intentioned but totally inappropriate constructed soil and water conservation system that virtually destroyed it. Diversion banks and waterways have eroded into gullies and canyons, making it impossible for farmers to cross from one side of their fields to the other.  Erosion is unchecked.  Aid agencies have abandoned the country to its fate, never admitting their constructed conservation system was a tragic mistake.

Man’s efforts to intervene in nature have failed miserably. We are too impatient. We demand an immediate fix.  Companies bring in the bulldozers, get paid and get out. The results are worldwide engineering disasters. Levees (stop banks) that are expected to control rivers in a meander plain, end with the river 30 feet above the town. Diversion systems that deprive an area of its natural runoff concentrate it in drainage networks that were never meant to handle it. All of these systems requirie massive construction and maintenance costs before ultimately failing completely and disastrously.  Hurricane Katrina, for example, burst through unprotected levees in Louisiana.

What subsistent rainfed farmers need throughout the tropical world is in situ moisture conservation to produce their crops on a sustainable basis; in situ moisture conservation to produce their fuel wood; in situ moisture conservation to replenish their aquifers and once perennial streams; in situ conservation systems that farmers can install themselves and maintain without assistance.

Decades of field trials and research by dedicated scientists, extension workers and organizations across the globe have proved there is an alternative, cheaper, biological solution to resolve our erosion and pollution problems that doesn't include complicated, expensive engineering and structural designs, and contrived bureaucratic accounting and bidding procedures.  It's a grass – a quite remarkable and astonishing plant known as Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides). 

High intensity rain storms in the tropics that cause runoff severe enough to cause erosion, landslides and mudslides, is a dynamic system that can't be controlled by static measures such as gabions, retainer walls, contour banks or even trees.

Use nature to control nature!

When planted as a single line, Vetiver forms a stiff, dense hedge that prevents erosion, forms natural terraces, increases soil moisture, and doesn't compete with companion crops.  Once established, Vetiver can withstand droughts, fire and floods, and will grow on highly acid or alkaline soils.  It can reclaim mine dumps, stabilize road cuttings, embankments and river banks, is economical to propagate and install, and requires only labor and hand tools.

Vetiver roots can absorb surplus nitrates and phosphates, can tolerate high levels of toxic elements such as arsenic, mercury, aluminium, and manganese,  and can protect dams and harbours from siltation.  This plant increases crop yields through moisture and nutrient conservation, grows only where planted, and is not a weed. Vetiver hedges will grow anywhere on any soil in the tropics (and subtropics), and, once established, will last for more than 100 years.

Over the past 20 years, The Vetiver Network International has had a major impact in the private sector and through worldwide NGOs (Non-Government Organisations), promoting Vetiver contour hedges to subsistence farmers in rainfed areas. Vetiver Systems are breathtakingly simple, and they work.

Vetiver.org provides a wealth of information, evidence, case studies and extensive references from field people who have successfully installed the Vetiver System, for those willing to open their minds and tackle sustainable development in a truly sustainable manner.

Thank you, California!! Come in, please!!

California Cleans Up Waste Water Using the Vetiver System

It is always exciting to see that Vetiver can be applied so successfully to resolve a problem, and its versatility in application. Bio Clean Environmental Services in Oceanside, which specializes in storm water treatment, used just a few Vetiver plants to "scrub" highly contaminated water.   Zack Kent, Storm Water Engineer, reported that the Oceanside project was an interesting opportunity because it's a very dirty site that treats wash down water from a harbor boat wash site, along with many smaller sewer spills coming from recreational vehicles (RVs) on a continuous basis. In the last two years, the system removed more than 4,000 pounds of oil-laden sediment from the pre-treatment chamber, treating 2,000 to 8,000 gallons of water daily.

Kent said that Bio-Clean chose Vetiver because of its ability to grow in saline water and address the high pollutant loads that characterize the installation.  "It was a great choice and a real success story." A power point containing images and data about this project are available for viewing on TVNI's website:    http://www.vetiver.org/USA_oceanside02.pdf


Approximately 18 Vetiver plants were installed in a concrete treatment box containing a special media.  Said Kent, "One of the ways we get the Vetiver to grow so quickly is we don’t use any soil. It’s a soil-less media made consisting of expanded aggregates and a proprietary hydroponics media. This allows for fast growth." Within 15 months the plants developed a massive root system, which collected high uptakes of N, P and a range of heavy metals.  Trimmed periodically, the Vetiver was dug up after 15 months.

The key data includes removal efficiency when comparing effluent inflow to outflow: nitrate 76%, phosphate 70%, TSS <15 microns 82% , copper 53% (undetectable), lead 100%, Zinc 79%, TPH (gasoline) 42%, TPH (diesel) 100%; TPH (motor oil) 100%, fecal coliform 84%,E. coli 79%, and Enterococci 70%

Guyana (yes, Guyana!) takes the lead. Oh, USA, is anyone there?

Guyana leaps to the fore as its agricultural minister allows that Vetiver, the simple, complex plant that we love, just might be the solution to some of his country's coastal woes.  The shocking convergence of international economic meltdown and horrific natural disasters might, just might, pave the way to increased adoption of Vetiver Systems on a scale heretofore unseen!  It's about time, don't you think!?

"The use of Vetiver grass as a form of sea defense protection may be considered by the authorities but planting of the perennial grass will have to be tested first before widespread planting can begin, says Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, when asked by the Stabroek News last week for a comment on use of the plant as a sea defense protector.

He stated that the authorities are studying the use of the plant, and has identified the Mon Repos Beach area as an excellent site for the test planting.

According to the Agriculture Minister, a mangrove specialist will establish the areas and try different methods of planting. He noted that the perennial grass has “great potential in the area of mud bank stabilization.”

According to Persaud, Vetiver is an effective, low cost bio-engineering technology that strengthens infrastructure protection and marsh replenishment by reliably enhancing control over soil and water management. He stated that using the plant as a form of sea defense involves planting Vetiver in a geometric or natural pattern that reinforces the dynamic processes of flow and deposition.

Vetiver is a uniquely dense, erect, deeply-rooted clump grass that is non-fertile and non-invasive. The grass, whose roots mat together, can grow as high as 1.5 meters and its roots grows downwards between six and 12 feet deep, making it an excellent erosion control plant in the tropical climate. It is also utilized for perfumery, aromatherapy and medicinal purposes in some parts of the world.

For more than a year now, Joe Coxall, a commenter on Stabroek News’ website, has extolled the virtues of Vetiver. In one of his December 2008 posts, he said “This grass can grow anywhere, but it does not spread.  Instead it grows thick root bundles over 12 feet long, straight down into the earth.”

The grass itself is good cow fodder. The roots hold the soil to the land and stop the silting. Oils can be extracted from the roots, which can be twisted into string. This grass will hold together high mud embankments.

When contacted for a comment on the issue, Engineer Charles Sohan expressed reservations, recommending that authorities pursue sea and river defense infrastructure works of a more stable and permanent nature that have stood the test of time. [Perhaps Mr. Sohan should review Fiji's century-long history of Vetiver stabilization.  Ed.]

Minister Persaud, while addressing the vulnerability of Guyana’s coastland to flooding and the high cost to maintain rigid engineered structures during a workshop on mangrove restoration at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre on March 5, opined that there are other “least cost” techniques which the Mangrove Management Implementation Comewmittee (MMIC) could examine, listing the cultivation of Vetiver as an option.

Meanwhile, the Agriculture Minister outlined several areas that the Mangrove restoration project, for which some $125 million have been allocated in this year’s budget, will adopt in accordance with the Ecological Restoration of Mangroves Protoco, including:

-understanding the normal hydrologic patterns controlling the distribution and successful establishment and growth of the targeted mangrove species,

-determining the modifications and stresses of the previous mangrove environment that are currently preventing natural secondary succession, and,

-designing the restoration program to first establish the appropriate hydrology at an appropriate restoration site, and then utilizing natural volunteer mangrove propagules for plant establishment.

The MMIC, which was formed last month, is spearheading the restoration project. The committee includes ten relevant agencies, including the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) which is coordinating the technical aspect of the implementation of the restoration program. NARI has since advertised for a Community Development Specialist to lead the Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project.

Vetiver saves beaches in Lombok...are Oahu and Kauai beaches next?

Our Indonesian friends, specifically the Jakarta Post through its contributors Marcella Segre and Gil Trawangan, report Vetiver's success in stabilizing  beaches and halting the erosion that killed reefs in Gili Trawangan and Gili Air. 

Imagine diving off one of the beautiful shores of the Gili islands in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, and finding yourself face to face with fishermen equipped with dynamite, intent on destroying the coral reef.


This was the reality as recently as 2002, before the Gili EcoTrust, a not-for-profit environmental organization, was established and signed an agreement with fishermen a few years later.  Although the bombing has now ended, thanks to the action of local conservation officials, a need remains to continue supporting the action to ensure that fishermen, now limited to fishing in two designated areas, do not return to their old habits.  Fishermen receive a monthly compensation that will be slashed if they are caught fishing outside the designated areas or using destructive cyanide and dynamite. Funded by a fee collected by dive centers, the compensation system is very successful.

“It was hard to convince the fishermen, but now our islands are more beautiful and more and more tourists come to the Gilis. It has helped all of us,” says Hari, a Gili Air resident.

The Gili EcoTrust now engages in a broad range of actions to protect the islands' environment.  Its goal is to raise the awareness among people to reduce their environmental impact on a delicate ecosystem that already has been irreparably damaged.  Information boards provide tips about such eco-friendly behavior as taking a shower and walking on the beach.  A Clean-up Day is held the first Friday of every month, and local students attend ecology classes.

The Gili EcoTrust is actively involved in the success of a Biorock project in the Gilis. Biorock structures are electrified steel structures that encourage mineral accretion to speed up the growth of the pieces of coral attached to them.  “They're not very nice to look at, but they're working,” says dive master Seb.  “You can see them sticking out of the water at low tide. They look like a bunch of steel, cement and building material. But in only ten months, the beach is already back.”  Thanks to 33 Biorock structures, the reefs off the Gili islands are now experiencing rapid regeneration.

The Biorock project is only part of a comprehensive anti-erosion scheme in the islands, where soil erosion is a real problem and beaches are rapidly disappearing.  In Gili Air, futile attempts have been made to counter erosion by growing mangroves or placing rubble on the shores.

The Gili EcoTrust has introduced Vetiver plantings.  Says Gili EcoTrust manager Delphine Robbe, “This is the best and most sustainable way to preserve our beaches.”  Hotels and businesses tend to stack sandbags or build seawalls, short-term solutions that only deflect the waves, which remove more and more sand from the beach. Since Vetiver's roots can reach as deep as five meters (15 feet), it holds the sand much more effectively and also looks more natural, she says.

Vetiver makes the News!

Oh, what fun it is to...be featured by veteran KHON TV news anchor Kirk Matthews on his Go Green2 segment. This week marks the anniversary of the December 11 '08 flood that submerged huge swathes of the Windward and Leeward coasts. That fact was not lost on Kirk, who masterfully added flood footage to our interview. Thank you, Kirk and KHON TV2, for your role in educating the Hawaii community about this remarkable plant!

Holiday wishes to all...in vineyards, in backyards, and everywhere!

Dick Grimshaw, the executive director of The Vetiver Network International (TVNI), shares his wishes for the new year and a note of appreciation for Vetiver-enhanced wine:

"Just thought I would send you all an email of good cheer for 2010. In doing so I add this image of Vetiver and grape growing in Robertson, Western Cape of South Africa. Anelia Marais, who sent it to me, tells us that it is cut four times a year for mulching and has done a terrific job in weed suppression. She says, 'To my (very uneducated) personal taste the Vetiver wines are wonderful, with a subtle flavour. I find that the normal triticale/wheat cover crop's wine has a sharp taste.' Sounds as though Roberston might be a suitable site for a Vetiver conference!!

Dubbed the 'valley of vines and roses', the Robertson district's lime-rich soils make it eminently suitable for racehorse stud farming, and of course, for good wine. The construction of a major dam at the beginning of the century brought reliable and inexpensive irrigation which led to the proliferation of Robertson's many wine estates and cooperatives.

Situated in the Breede River Valley region, the average annual rainfall is around 400 mm. Although summer temperatures can be high, cooling coastal winds - less than 100km away - channel moisture-laden air into the valley. Today, Robertson wine is renowned. While traditionally considered white wine territory and known for its Chardonnays, Robertson is also the source of distinctive fortified dessert wines and some of the Cape's most revered Shiraz.'

If Vetiver does this for grapes, imagine what it can do for other perennial cash crops!

I am really pleased with the progress that the Vetiver System has made in the past year, starting with an exceptionally good visit to Kenya, and Ethiopia where the Vetiver System is strongly moving forward. I'm pleased to report expanded use of Vetiver in India, China, Philippines, and Madagascar, among other countries, and a lot of new interest in Central and South America, USA, Italy and southern Africa. The internet offers many more references to Vetiver Systems and this unique plant.

Although I normally don't select special people for attention, this year I want to recognize the efforts of: Jack Bertel and Warren Sullivan, who are working hard to employ Vetiver in the coastal areas of the southern United States; Alberto Rodriguez for his dissemination of Vetiver information in Puerto Rico and throughout his region; Don Miller in the Pacific, who has captured the imagination of the Coral Reef folks; Fernando Costa Pinto and Paulo Rogerio of Brazil, Carolina Rivas of Chile, Yooleny Cruz of Costa Rica; Shantanoo Bhattacharya in India; Debela Dinka in Ethiopia; Elise Pinners in Kenya, and Liyu Xu in China; and Yoann Coppin in Madagascar.

Of course I thank all the old Vetiver stalwarts - Paul Truong, John Greenfield, Roley Noffke, Mark Dafforn, Criss Juliard, Narong Chomchalow, and Jim Smyle - along with many others who continue to provide feedback and support. Thank you to all of you for your support and for sharing information about Vetiver.

The use of forums and discussion boards has allowed us to share our ideas and feelings with many others, and the feedback on their usefulness has been positive.

The Vetiver System is now accepted by many people looking for appropriate technologies that can address the problems at hand. We are lucky that Vetiver has many applications, is low cost and relatively simple to understand; and meets some of the challenges of the changing and more extreme climatic conditions that we face today.

As our gift, you will, by Christmas day, be able to buy from Amazon.com the Spanish version of the Vetiver System Technical Manual that Oscar Rodriguez - coordinator of the Latin America Vetiver Network - was so kind to translate, or get a free download from Esnips.

On that note I wish you all well."

I join Dick in wishing you a peaceful holiday season, and a prosperous, healthy New Year!
Mary

Just cruisin' with....Vetiver??!!

Alarmed that people are diving off cruise ships to meet their demise? Horrified that some are tossing others overboard? Sleepless because of the worry?? It's time for Vetiver to step in!

Although alarm and horror haven't been cited as (prime) motivators, it seems that our Oil of Tranquility is due for subtle introduction into the otherwise stressful avocation of --- you guessed it, luxury lining!

"We've heard of cruise ships that smell like bunker oil and suntan lotion, but figs and almonds--and Vetiver?

These are some of the essences that will comprose a signature fragrance that MSC Cruises plans to infuse into its newest ship, the five-month-old MSC Splendida, according to a report today by industry watcher Seatrade Insider.

The news outlet says the fragrance, which will feature overtones of Vetiver, a perennial grass, was designed to enhance passengers’ sense of well-being and luxury by evoking the Mediterranean.

'Fragranced hotels are becoming a big thing and research proves that holiday memories are composed of a myriad of sensory experiences, with scent playing a key role. Seatrade Insider says the fragrance, dubbed MED by MSC, will be subtly dispersed in select areas aboard the ship via the air conditioning system and infused into cabin toiletries, table linens, bedding and towels.

MSC's fragrance announcement comes two months after luxury line Silversea said its next ship, the Silver Spirit, would have a menu of scents that can be infused through cabins upon request.

Renowned Italian perfumer Laura Tonatto has developed three options for Silversea passengers: Oltre, designed to evoke the boundless sea; Albi, made with lavender and touted as a de-stresser; and the orange-infused Fiori d'Arancio, billed as calming."

ALSO ONLINE: Sexually-charged 'cougar cruise' sets sail; Facing complaints, a cruise line no longer will add tips to bills; Recent attacks on tourists in Nassau have some passengers on edge

Vetiver...sweet (er, savory)!

Always attuned to the use of Vetiver as or in fragrance and food, today I noted Veronique's post concerning "The Best Chocolate in the World." If you can swallow her initial, immodest premise that French chocolate is the best (she's tossing the gauntlet, Hawaii chocolatiers!!), then consider that Christian Constant is using botanicals in his chocolate.
"Christian Constant adds a touch of essential flower oil and spice to enhance the taste. I loved the cinnamon and jasmine green tea chocolate, and the Yemen flavor. If you dare, try Vetiver, neroli, frangipani, ylang-ylang or lemongrass," she writes. Christian Constant 37 rue d’Assas Paris 6e 01 53 63 15 15 www.christianconstant.fr
I love learning the ways that chefs employ Vetiver in their culinary creations. Those of us who delight in its fragrance appreciate Vetiver's addition to a crisp gin and tonic, and ice cream (not necessarily together!). It also makes a lovely, savory martini. Bon appetit!

Vetiver...it's not just for the birds.

This feed by G. Mahadevan of The Hindu just in from Kerala, India, the birthplace of Vetiver. Our favorite plant will take a lead role in stabilizing a lake and creating a forest-like environment for birds:

Polluted and stagnant water, crumbling banks and dwindling fauna may soon be a thing of the past at the lakes inside the Thiruvananthapuram zoo. The old-world charm of the 3.5-acre lake is being recreated as part of a substantial cleaning and beautification project being implemented by the Centre for Science and Technology for Rural Development (COSTFORD).

The de-silting of the small lake at the zoo has already started. The silt from the small lake and the large, 3.5-acre one, will be deposited at the island in the middle of the latter. Clumping bamboo and Vetiver (Raamacham) will be planted along the perimeter to prevent soil erosion. In addition to purifying the air, Vetiver plants also soak up heavy metals present in the lake’s water, COSTFORD director P.B. Sajan told The Hindu.

Varieties of fish endemic to the State, and quickly reproducing, will be introduced in the water body to ensure an adequate supply of food for the large number of birds, including migratory ones, that visit the lake every day. The 1.5-acre patch of land that straddles the lake and the zoo’s boundary wall will be densely planted with trees, creepers and climbers.

The idea is to create a forest-like environment for the birds to rest and nest. Visitors will not be permitted to access this part of the lake.

An observation deck and a tower will allow visitors to see the birds at their natural best. While the deck will jut out into the lake to allow visitors to see the fish, the tower will be tall enough to allow a clear view of the lake’s island. The designs of the deck and the tower will complement the lake’s ambience.

As part of the project, rainwater that now drains from the zoo compound will be directed to a settling pond near the small lake, and then flow to the small lake. Water will enter the city’s drainage system only when the large lake overflows. Intermittent flow of rainwater through the two lakes will keep their waters fresh. A spring that feeds the small lake has temporarily been diverted to facilitate de-silting activities.

Once the lakes are cleaned and beautified a fishpond—with a fountain—encircled by benches and seats, will be created on the lawns near the Museum’s Corporation gate. This will replace the present visitor center, which is the bandstand opposite the Museum compound. March 2010 is the targeted completion deadline, Mr. Sajan adds.

Granny (Goose) Goes Green!

Aloha! This month Hawaii's own Granny Goose, aka George Groves, features Vetiver Systems Hawaii on his "Lyfestyles" segment. Granny's among the best known local media personalities, having been a radio and television personna for many years. Check us out! Granny does know best!