Inkomo ehambelana nemozulu

nguMartin Auer

Asiyiyo inkomo, kodwa ulimo lwemizi-mveliso olona tshabalalisi lwemozulu, uyaxoxa ugqirha wezilwanyana u-Anita Idel - omnye wababhali abaphambili beNgxelo yezoLimo yeHlabathi ka-2008.[1] Kwincwadi ethi “The Myth of Climate-Smart Agriculture” epapashwe kunye nososayensi wezolimo uAndrea Beste[2]. Inkomo inegama elibi kumatsha-ntliziyo emozulu kuba igqobhoza imethane. Oku kubi kakhulu kwimozulu, kuba imethane (CH4) ifudumeza iatmosfera ngama-25 amaxesha ngaphezulu kweCO2. Kodwa inkomo inamacala ayo ahambelana nemozulu.

Inkomo ehambelana nemozulu ihlala emadlelweni ubukhulu becala. Utya ingca kunye nengca kwaye akukho feed concentrated. Inkomo ehambelana nemozulu ayikhuliswa ngendlela egqithisileyo. Unika kuphela iilitha ezingama-5.000 zobisi ngonyaka endaweni ye-10.000 ye-12.000. Kuba kuninzi anokukwenza ngengca nengca nje njengesondlo. Ngelitha nganye yobisi eluvelisayo, inkomo ehambelana nemozulu ikhupha imethane eninzi kunenkomo esebenza kakuhle kakhulu. Kodwa olu balo aluchazi lonke ibali. Inkomo ehambelana nemozulu ayizityi iinkozo zabantu, umbona kunye nesoya. Namhlanje, ama-50 ekhulwini okuvuna okuziinkozo ehlabathini jikelele aphelela kwizikhongozelo zeenkomo, iihagu neenkukhu. Yiyo loo nto kufanelekile ukuba sinciphise ukusetyenziswa kwenyama kunye neemveliso zobisi. Kungenxa yokuba amahlathi ayagawulwa yaye amadlelo engca ayalinywa ukuze kuhlale ezi zixa zisanda ngokwanda zezityalo zefula. Zombini “lutshintsho kusetyenziso lomhlaba” oluyingozi kakhulu kwimozulu. Ukuba besingazondli ukutya okuziinkozo, kancinci umhlaba ebenokondla abantu abaninzi. Okanye unokusebenza ngeendlela zokulima ezingaqini kakhulu, nezithambileyo. Kodwa inkomo ethanda imozulu itya ingca engatyiyo ebantwini. Yiyo loo nto nathi kufuneka sicinge ngayo i-welches inyama kunye leyo Kufuneka siziphephe iimveliso zobisi. Ukususela ngo-1993 ukuya ku-2013, umzekelo, inani leenkomo zobisi kuMntla Rhine-Westphalia lalingaphezu kwesiqingatha. Noko ke, iinkomo eziseleyo zazivelisa ubisi oluninzi kunalo xa zonke zidityanisiwe kwiminyaka engama-20 ngaphambili. Iinkomo ezithanda imozulu, ezazifuyelwe ukuba zixhomekeke kakhulu kwingca namadlelo, zaziphelisiwe. Okwasalayo ziinkomo ezisebenza kakuhle kakhulu, ezixhomekeke kwisondlo esixutyiweyo esisuka kumasimi afakwe isichumiso senitrogen, ezinye kusafuneka zingeniswe kumazwe angaphandle. Oku kuthetha ukuba kukho imithombo eyongezelelweyo yeCO2 ngexesha lothutho.

Amashishini abonelela ngeefama okanye alungisa iimveliso axhamla ikakhulu ekuguqulweni kwendawo enengca ibe ngumhlaba olimekayo wokuvelisa ukutya kwezilwanyana. Ngoko ishishini lemichiza kunye nembewu, izichumisi zeminerali kunye ne-nitrogen, i-pesticides, isondlo sezilwanyana, i-antibiotics, i-antiparasites, i-hormone; ishishini loomatshini bezolimo, iinkampani ezizinzileyo zefenitshala kunye neenkampani zokuzalanisa izilwanyana; Iinkampani zothutho, iinkampani zobisi, iinkampani zokuxhela kunye nokutya. La mashishini akanamdla kwinkomo ehambelana nemozulu. Kuba abanakufumana nto ngayo. Ngenxa yokuba ingazange ikhuliselwe ukusebenza ngokugqithisileyo, inkomo ehambelana nemozulu iphila ixesha elide, ayiguli kakhulu kwaye akufuneki ukuba impontshwe igcwele amayeza okubulala iintsholongwane. Ukutya kwenkomo okuhambelana nemozulu kukhula apho kukhoyo kwaye akunyanzelekanga ukuba kuthuthwe kude. Umhlaba okhulela kuwo umxhesho akunyanzelekanga ukuba ulinywe ngoomatshini bolimo abahlukeneyo abadla amandla. Ayifuni i-nitrogen fertilization kwaye ngoko ayibangeli ukukhutshwa kwe-nitrous oxide. Kwaye i-nitrous oxide (N2O), eveliswa emhlabeni xa initrogen ingafunxwa ngokupheleleyo zizityalo, iyingozi ngokuphindwe ngama-300 kwimozulu kuneCO2. Enyanisweni, i-nitrous oxide yeyona nto inegalelo elikhulu kutshintsho lwemozulu ukusuka kwezolimo. 

Ingca ivele kwizigidi zeminyaka kunye neenkomo, iigusha kunye neebhokhwe kunye nezihlobo zazo: kwi-coevolution. Yiyo loo nto idlelo lixhomekeke edlelweni. Inkomo ehambelana nemozulu ikhuthaza ukukhula kwengca ngokuluma kwayo, umphumo esiwaziyo ngokucheba ingca. Ukukhula kwenzeka ikakhulu ngaphantsi komhlaba, kwindawo yeengcambu. Iingcambu kunye neengcambu ezintle zengca zifikelela ngokuphindwe kabini ukuya kumashumi amabini kwi-biomass yomhlaba ongentla. Idlelo linegalelo ekwakhekeni kwe-humus kunye nokugcinwa kwekhabhoni emhlabeni. Itoni nganye ye-humus iqulethe isiqingatha setoni yekhabhoni, ekhulula umoya we-1,8 yeetoni ze-CO2. Lilonke, le nkomo yenza okungakumbi kwimozulu kunokuba yenzakalise ngemethane eyigqobhozayo. Okukhona iingcambu zengca zininzi, kokukhona umhlaba ukwazi ukugcina amanzi. Oku kukukhusela izikhukhula kwaye ukumelana nembalela. Kwaye umhlaba omiliselwe kakuhle awukhukuliseki ngokukhawuleza. Inkomo ehambelana nemozulu inceda ekunciphiseni ukhukuliseko lomhlaba kwaye igcine iintlobo-ntlobo zezinto eziphilayo. Kambe ke, kuphela xa idlelo ligcinwa ngaphakathi kwemida ezinzileyo. Ukuba iinkomo zininzi kakhulu, ingca ayinakukhula ngokukhawuleza kwaye ubunzima beengcambu buyancipha. Izityalo ezityiwa yinkomo zizaliswe ziintsholongwane. Kwaye ubulongwe benkomo abushiya ngasemva butyetyiswe ziintsholongwane. Ngexesha lokuziphendukela kwemvelo, intsebenziswano phakathi kweebhaktheriya ezingentla nangaphantsi komhlaba ziye zaphuhliswa. Esi, phakathi kwezinye izinto, sesinye sezizathu zokuba ilindle lenkomo likhuthaze ngokukodwa ukuchuma komhlaba. Umhlaba otyebileyo omnyama eUkraine, ePuszta, kumazantsi eRomania, kumatheku aseJamani nakweminye imimandla emininzi wadalwa ngokutya amadlelo kangangamawaka eminyaka. Namhlanje izivuno eziphezulu ziphunyezwa kulimo olulinywayo apho, kodwa ulimo olunzulu lususa isiqulatho sekhabhoni emhlabeni ngesantya esothusayo. 

Umyinge wama-40 ekhulwini womhlaba onezityalo womhlaba unengca. Ecaleni kwehlathi, yeyona biome inkulu emhlabeni. Iindawo zayo zokuhlala zisusela kokoma kakhulu ukuya kumanzi kakhulu, ukusuka kubushushu obugqithisileyo ukuya kubanda kakhulu. Naphezu komgca wemithi kusekho ingca enokutyiswa. Iindawo ezihlala ngengca nazo ziyakwazi ukuziqhelanisa kakhulu nexesha elifutshane kuba zixubene neenkcubeko. Imbewu emhlabeni yahlukile kwaye inokuntshula kwaye ikhule ngokuxhomekeke kwiimeko zokusingqongileyo. Uluntu lwengca luxhathisa kakhulu – “lomelele” – iinkqubo. Ixesha lazo lokukhula nalo liqala kwangoko kwaye liphele emva kwexesha kunelo lemithi evuthulukayo. Imithi idala i-biomass ngaphezulu komhlaba kunengca. Kodwa ininzi ikharbhon egcinwa kumhlaba ongaphantsi kwengca kunemihlaba yamahlathi. Njengedlelo lemfuyo, ingca ithatha isibini kwisithathu sommandla wezolimo uwonke kwaye ibonelela ngeyona ndlela yokuphila kwishumi labemi behlabathi. Amadlelo amanzi, amadlelo e-alpine, i-steppes kunye ne-savannahs azikho kuphela phakathi kweevenkile ezinkulu zekhabhoni, kodwa zibonelela ngesiseko esikhulu sezondlo sokwenziwa kweeprotheyini emhlabeni. Uninzi lommandla womhlaba wehlabathi awulungelanga ukusetyenziswa kwezolimo ixesha elide. Le mimandla ingasetyenziswa kuphela ngokuzinzileyo kwisondlo soluntu njengamadlelo. Ukuba besiya kuzincama ngokupheleleyo iimveliso zezilwanyana, besiya kuphulukana negalelo elixabisekileyo lenkomo ehambelana nemozulu ekulondolozeni nasekuphuculeni umhlaba, ukugcina ikhabhoni kunye nokugcina izinto eziphilayo ezahlukeneyo. 

Iinkomo ezisisi-1,5 sebhiliyoni ezihlala isijikelezi-langa sethu namhlanje ngokuqinisekileyo zininzi kakhulu. Kodwa zingaphi iinkomo ezivumelana nemozulu? Asiyifumani impendulo yalo mbuzo ukhethekileyo kolu phononongo. Isenokuba yintelekelelo nje. Ukuziqhelanisa, umntu unokukhumbula ukuba malunga ne-1900, ngaphambi kokuveliswa kunye nokusetyenziswa kwesichumiso senitrogen, kwakukho kuphela iinkomo ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezingama-400 ezihlala emhlabeni.[3]Kwaye enye ingongoma ibalulekile: Ayizizo zonke iinkomo ezitya ingca ezivumelana nemozulu: iipesenti ezingama-60 zamadlelo zityiswe ngokuphakathi okanye kakhulu kwaye zisengozini yokutshatyalaliswa komhlaba.[4] Ulawulo oluchubekileyo noluzinzileyo luyimfuneko ekulimeni kwamadlelo. 

Sele kubhengezwe ukuba imithi ibalulekile kukhuseleko lwemozulu. Lixesha lokuba i-ecosystem yengca yengca ifumane ingqalelo eyidingayo.

Ifoto yeqweqwe: Nuria Lechner
Kubonwe: Hanna Faist

[1]    https://www.unep.org/resources/report/agriculture-crossroads-global-report-0

[2]    Idel, uAnita; U-Beste, u-Andrea (2018): Intsomi yezolimo ezihlakaniphile zemozulu. okanye Kutheni ngaphantsi kokubi akulunganga. Wiesbaden: IGreens European Free Alliance kwiPalamente yaseYurophu.

[3]    https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/livestock-counts

[4]    Piipponen, J., Jalava, M., de Leeuw, J., Rizayeva, A., Godde, C., Cramer, G., Herrero, M., & Kummu, M. (2022). Iintsingiselo zehlabathi kumthamo wokuthwala ingca kunye nokuxinana kwemfuyo yemfuyo. Global Change Biology, 28, 3902– 3919. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16174