The State of Sustainable, Regenerative and Organic Agriculture in the Cannabis Industry for Controlled Environments

Operating as a fully sustainable, regenerative, and/or organic cultivator can be challenging (if not impossible) in the legal U.S. cannabis industry today. There are a number of reasons for this, not the least of which is the fact that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) won’t certify any cannabis cultivators as organic as long as cannabis is illegal at the federal level. Some state regulators have even stopped cannabis growers who tried to follow organic practices in recent years.

And while there are nonprofit organizations that offer certifications for regenerative organic cannabis, many states’ testing requirements make fully regenerative agriculture impossible. Furthermore, this type of certification is not applicable to cultivators who grow in controlled environments where the risks outweigh the benefits.

Fortunately, while 100% sustainable, regenerative, and/or organic agriculture are unattainable in most parts of the country’s legal cannabis industry today, there are many opportunities to make meaningful strides toward more environmentally-friendly growing practices.

How to Transition to Sustainable and Organic Cannabis Cultivation in Controlled Environments

The founders of bio365 made an early commitment to only make organic products and never make anything with chemicals or synthetics. We don’t work in the regenerative area. Our clean, living soil was developed for controlled environment agriculture, so that is where our recommendations for transitioning to sustainable and organic cultivation will focus.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that you don’t have to transition everything all at once. This applies to the physical space in your facility designated for organic growing as well as to the inputs and products you use.

Consider your growing media to start. Many popular brands of growing media are not organic. For example, Grodan’s Rockwool is not classified as organic because it’s made through a synthetic chemical process. However, bio365 growing media and the nutrients our media provide are all organic.

Shifting from peat to coco is another way to take small steps toward increased sustainability. When peat is mined from bogs, it takes thousands of years to get more peat. This is a significant problem because peat stores billions of tons of carbon that the earth needs.

However, when peat is removed from bogs, it oxidizes. It’s crucial to remove as little of that carbon as possible! In fact, that’s just one of the reasons so many countries have banned peat for most cultivation.

Many U.S. cannabis growers still use peat, and many prefer it. However, there are options available to reduce your use of peat and be more sustainable without making any risky or expensive changes.

One of the options is to switch to bio365’s peat-free and peat-lite growing media, which include a minimum of 66% less peat than competitors’ media. It’s a small step that can make a big difference in the transition to sustainable practices.

Steps bio365 Takes to be More Sustainable and Help Growers Improve Their Sustainability

Since the day bio365 was founded, we’ve worked to create products that help improve sustainability in agriculture. We have eight patents for innovations related to biochar, biology, and more, and we continue to develop environmental aspects to our products that not only support our goal to fight global warming but also to help cultivators grow higher quality crops for less money.  

To date, bio365 has delivered on our commitments to sustainability in multiple ways. Highlights of our efforts and results include:

Patented CO2 Sequestering and Removal

We invented a form of biochar used in all of our products that sequesters CO2 from the atmosphere. For every 1 lb. of biochar we use, approximately 2 lbs. of CO2 are removed from the atmosphere.

Increased Water and Fertilizer Efficiency

Our growing media is engineered to be more water and fertilizer efficient, which means growers will use less water and fertilizer with our media. In addition, less chemical- and salt-based fertilizer run-off will make it to the water supply.

More Renewable Resources

We use a large amount of coco fiber in our products, which is one of the most sustainable sources of wood fiber in the world. Coco coir is a natural by-product of coconuts and is a renewable resource. Coconut trees are never cut down to source it.

Less Non-Renewable Inputs

We use less peat in our products than our competitors. We offer several peat-free blends, and all of our other products are peat-lite. Our patented engineering processes enable us to use more coco, which is better for the environment. However, the growing media still behaves the way peat-based products do. It also delivers better results for growers.

Organic Ingredients Only

We only use organic inputs in our products. All of bio365’s suppliers are organic certified and must adhere to our strict standards.

Biodegradable for Disposal

Since bio365 products only use organic ingredients, they are biodegradable and can be disposed of in any way without harming the environment.

Reduced Emissions

We choose suppliers who are as local as possible to reduce transportation emissions.

What’s Next for Sustainability in CEA for the Cannabis Industry?

While there are still many obstacles in place that prevent legal cannabis growers in the U.S. from operating as fully sustainable and organic, we believe this industry can make a significant positive impact on sustainability and the environment in the future.

The team at bio365 is ready to do our part. The fight against global warming and supporting the environment and sustainability are built into bio365’s DNA, and every decision we make is rooted in our commitment to fight global warming.

If you’re ready to transition to more sustainable and organic growing practices, contact us to discuss the comfortable, risk-free steps you can take today starting with your growing media.