Today, forests, meadows and field crops sequester around 185 of the 755 million metric tons of CO2 emitted each year. This is roughly the same amount that can be bound with a targeted buildup of humus. This build-up could almost double the amount of carbon dioxide bound annually and thus make it possible to operate in a completely CO2-neutral manner by 2050, while at the same time reducing emissions by half.

Humus buildup can be promoted in agriculture by removing only the reused grains from the field at harvest and spreading the rest of the plant back as mulch instead of removing it as done in conventional agriculture. This allows the plant residues to be decomposed by natural bacteria and converted into new humus. This not only sequesters CO2, but also promotes soil health and reduces soil moisture evaporation.

Appropriate practices result in reduced water and pesticide use, helping the environment in more ways than one. The spread mulch traps the morning dew and keeps the moisture in the soil. Covering soil also prevents light-germinating weeds from sprouting. In both cases, this saves labor preemptively. This saving also directly reduces the fuel consumption of agriculture, so that not only CO2 is bound, but also emissions are reduced.

Several patents have been filed for this so far.

In addition to binding carbon dioxide, plants also release vital oxygen. This has no direct influence on the greenhouse effect but is just as vital as clean drinking water for humans, flora and fauna. The output of German forests and agriculture currently roughly equals the human consumption of oxygen. However, any permanent damage to nature disrupts this cycle and can have unforeseeable consequences.