BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE use of kitchen waste/table scraps to make compost has always been considered something that could not be successfully achieved.
Taiwan, however, became the first success story when one man was able to prove to the world that this form of recycling could be successfully done, having turned table scraps into healthy compost and growing delicious vegetables without the use of pesticides.
Recently, a number of media professionals from around the world had the pleasure of touring Pierre Loisel's lush organic farm and learned the elements of making healthy compost from purely kitchen waste.
The 73-year-old French Canadian is the mastermind behind this revolutionary product that is not only cost effective but also a great boost to the push of having a green economy; not to mention the health benefits with regards to eliminating the use of harmful pesticides.
Tucked away in Toucheng, Taiwan, Loisel's organic paradise is the epitome of true healthy living and proofs that one, or even a few persons, saying that something could not be done should not discourage one from trying.
Loisel took the group on a trip down memory lane, telling the tale of how he started out in Taiwan and how he turned a dream into reality.
He retired from his job in a field that was bound to be 'booming' and went into farming more than 10 years ago.
The former computer whiz, who had a hand in influencing the technology giant Hewlett-Packard (HP) to set up their Asian headquarters in Taiwan, was the Vice President of that company but suddenly left. He loved the technology field but, by his own actions, demonstrated that he loved his family more.
"One day when my son was seven years old, he said: 'Father, why don't I ever see you anymore?' I retired that day," he said.
Loisel went on to explain that he took up farming because he needed to find a way to care for his family and "I also wanted a successful marriage".
Despite not having any farming experience, Loisel still managed to get the job done and was soon looking into producing vegetables without the use of harmful pesticides. At that time, he was also looking into ways of keeping Taiwan clean.
The farmer had pushed for the construction of Taiwan's first incinerator, which, after a while, caused more problems than what it solved. Loisel realised that table scraps were not being burned and would get stuck in the incinerator.
"I realised, we needed to compost," he stated.
After being told by the then Environmental Protection Minister, Tsai Hsun-hsiung, that millions of dollars had already been spent on trying to compost Chinese table scraps, he decided not to be discouraged and told the Minister that it could and would be done.
The computer whiz spent hours doing research on the topic but was met with results telling him that certain foods, such as meat and seafood, could not be composted. He also spoke with a number of experts in the field but did not make headway until he spoke with National Taiwan University professor Wu San-he, who told him that it could be done.
"I learned that previous efforts failed because they could not meet the heat transfer needs. Your dump needs to be at least seven tonnes for bacterial activity to heat the pile to 72ºC for it to properly compost,” he explained.
Loisel then started using table scraps from the Jian-Tan Elementary School to make his compost.
And it worked!
"Compost made from Chinese table scraps are the healthiest in the world because the nutrients from the food, especially the seafood, helps to fight off the bugs. So there is no need for the use of pesticides. And the vegetables grown from this compost are much healthier and more delicious. So, I have created a product that is unique to the world!" the farmer explained.
The compost, once rightly done, takes about three months to compost, after which it could be used as fertilisers.
Loisel now recycles kitchen waste from all around Taiwan and has been successful at composting leftover foods since the first try. He calls his creation "sustainable farming".
"You pick up kitchen waste, compost it and turn it into healthy food," Loisel said with a smile.
Loisel said his wife's battle with breast cancer is what really gave him the final push to go into full-scale organic farming, as he wanted to be of great assistance to her. He said she was at stage two when given the bad news and he immediately started her on an all vegetable organic diet.
The farmer said that, while going through chemotherapy and other treatments, his wife had absolutely no side effects, which shocked the nurses to the point where they just had to visit his home to find out the secret to her miraculously successful recovery.
He said the hospital now recommend cancer patients visit his farm, where he puts them on an organic vegetable diet to assist with combating the illness.
Loisel and his wife, who is cancer free and has been for years, continue to live an organic vegetarian life. He teaches people to make compost and regularly visits his farm and assists the workers there.
He envisions a very bright future for Taiwan in organic farming; his own farm already leading the way to the light at the end of the tunnel.
