NEWSLETTERS & POSTS

Ethiopia’s Terraces Are Failing. Here’s What the Research Says They Need.

How Vetiver Retrofits Turn 7% Yield Losses Into 200%+ Gains—While Suppressing Pests Farmers Never Expected (the photos in this article are all from Ethiopia and show vetiver planted in the mid 1990s and the early 2000s) The transformation of Ethiopia’s degraded agricultural landscapes through vetiver grass integration represents one of Africa’s most compelling success stories in soil conservation. With more than 60% of the Amhara Regional State threatened by soil erosion and land degradation, Ethiopia has invested massively in structural soil conservation measures including soil bunds, fanya juu terraces, stone bunds, and bench terraces.… Read the rest “Ethiopia’s Terraces Are Failing. Here’s What the Research Says They Need.”
Dick Grimshaw
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Labels: agriculture, erosion, upscaling vetiver, Vetiver researchTagged , , , , ,

Bridging the Adoption Gap: TVNI’s 2026 Engineering Standards for Slope Stabilization

For three decades, Vetiver Grass Technology (VGT) has demonstrated extraordinary technical performance in stabilizing engineered slopes—yet struggled with institutional adoption. Hong Kong documented ten years of zero slope failures, then rejected vetiver. Hawaii faced $70 million in flood damage and eleven landslides, then chose conventional metal soil nails over vetiver for Kuhio Highway repairs. China scaled vetiver to over 9 million square meters across massive infrastructure programs, only to see application rates collapse when crisis pressure released.… Read the rest “Bridging the Adoption Gap: TVNI’s 2026 Engineering Standards for Slope Stabilization”
Dick Grimshaw
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Labels: design standards, Hydrology, infrastructure, slope stabilizationTagged , , , , , ,

Become a Farmer-Researcher: Six Vetiver System Models to Transform Your Farm

An Invitation to Farmers and Other Vetiver Users Choose Your Path, Document Your Journey, Share Your Knowledge What if the greatest agricultural research wasn’t happening in laboratories, but on your farm? What if farmers like you—working the land, observing the seasons, feeling the soil between your fingers—held the key to unlocking solutions that scientists need to document and the world needs to see? That’s exactly what’s happening with the Vetiver System. Around the world, farmers (and gardeners) are discovering that this remarkable grass does far more than prevent erosion.… Read the rest “Become a Farmer-Researcher: Six Vetiver System Models to Transform Your Farm”
Dick Grimshaw
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Labels: agriculture, climate change, climate change adaptation, community, design standards, erosion, forage, Hydrology, land restoration, nematodes, plant, upscaling vetiver, Vetiver research, water, watershed managementTagged , , , , , ,

Vetiver’s phytoremedial mechanism, and how it might mitigate water pollution in tropical countries with India as an example

Vetiver Phytoremediation – The  Mechanisms Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) removes agricultural and waste water (sewage) pollutants through four integrated biological mechanisms operating simultaneously. (1) The foundation is its massive vertical root system reaching 3-4 meters depth, creating enormous surface area for contaminant absorption while generating soil macropores that increase infiltration rates 200-400%. (2) Around each root, an active rhizosphere treatment zone hosts dense microbial populations that degrade organic compounds—pesticides, antibiotics, hydrocarbons—through enzymatic breakdown, while root exudates chemically transform pollutants and facilitate nutrient cycling.… Read the rest “Vetiver’s phytoremedial mechanism, and how it might mitigate water pollution in tropical countries with India as an example”
Dick Grimshaw
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Labels: agriculture, climate change, disaster mitigation, Phytoremediation, pollution, urban, wastewater, water, water qualityTagged , , , , , , ,

NEWSLETTER (NL2026-04) The 9-Degree Solution: What Vietnamese Farmers Discovered (And Science Had Already Proven}

Welcome to an extraordinary month in the Vetiver world. From Vietnamese farmers making remarkable discoveries to Brazilian associations taking flight, from Ethiopian insights finally being understood to engineering breakthroughs that challenge conventional thinking—this month reveals vetiver’s true power not just as erosion control, but as agricultural infrastructure with hidden benefits that science documented decades ago, yet farmers are only now beginning to see. The Hidden Benefits of Vetiver: When Farmers Discover What Science Had Already Proven The Vietnamese Discovery The Vietnam Vetiver Farmers Group has become the world’s most innovative vetiver community through careful field observation and documentation.… Read the rest “NEWSLETTER (NL2026-04) The 9-Degree Solution: What Vietnamese Farmers Discovered (And Science Had Already Proven}”
Dick Grimshaw
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Labels: agriculture, climate change adaptation, design standards, erosion, forage, Hydrology, nematodes, plant, Promotion & Dissemination, upscaling vetiver, waterTagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

HOW VETIVER ACTUALLY IMPROVES SOIL FERTILITY

Think of degraded soil at 1.5% organic matter barely supporting crops. Now imagine bringing it to 4.3%. That’s what Anno Farms in Ethiopia achieved over 15 years with vetiver. Not guesswork—measured data from a 200-hectare commercial operation. Here’s how: THE DOUBLE BIOMASS TRICK Most people see the 1.5-2 meter tall vetiver canopy and think “that’s a lot of mulch.” They’re seeing only half the story. Above ground, standard vetiver hedges deliver 6-12 tons per hectare every three years.… Read the rest “HOW VETIVER ACTUALLY IMPROVES SOIL FERTILITY”
Dick Grimshaw
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 The Soil Temperature Crisis: Climate Change Impact on Global Food Crops

Comprehensive Assessment of Staple Grains, High-Value Perennials, and Vegetable Crops Under Rising Soil Temperatures—and the Vetiver Solution The Crisis Beneath Our Feet While the world fixates on rising air temperatures, bare degraded soil now reaches 43-50°C during peak sun versus 19-24°C in vetiver-protected systems. Satellite thermal analysis of India’s Vanya Farm (India) proves the mechanism: the same land measured 50°C in 2000 (bare degraded baseline), then cooled to 40-42°C after transformation into food forest—a 9°C absolute decline from vegetation alone while surroundings remained at 50°C.… Read the rest “ The Soil Temperature Crisis: Climate Change Impact on Global Food Crops”
Dick Grimshaw
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Labels: agriculture, climate change, climate change adaptation, climate change mitigation, nematodesTagged , , , , , , , ,

The Hidden Benefits of Vetiver

When Farmers Discover What Science Had Already Proven The Vietnamese Discovery The Vietnam Vetiver Farmers Group (facebook.com/groups/vetiver4vn) has become the world’s most innovative vetiver community through careful field observation and documentation. Their farmers noticed something remarkable: crops planted close to vetiver hedges—particularly papaya, dragon fruit, and grapes—grew with exceptional vigor and health. The farmers attributed this dramatic improvement to vetiver ‘wicking up’ deep moisture and making it available to nearby plants. While their moisture theory was incorrect, their observation were absolutely right—something profound was happening.… Read the rest “The Hidden Benefits of Vetiver”
Dick Grimshaw
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RETROFIT CONSTRUCTED CONSERVATION BUNDS AND TERRACES WITH VETIVER HEDGEROWS

Retrofit thousands of kilometers of constructed bunds, terraces, fanya juus BY planting one row of vetiver along the upslope foot (toe) of bunds or on the outer edge of terraces and these structures will start showing the benefits of vetiver hedgerows. The cost is minimal the benefits are huge. Vetiver’s deep roots (3+ meters) stabilize soil structures, preventing erosion and structural failure. The dense hedgerows filter sediment, slow runoff, and enhance water infiltration. Unlike aging earthworks that deteriorate, vetiver strengthens over time, reduces maintenance costs, and creates living barriers that adapt to terrain while providing long-term erosion control, land productivity and many other benefits not obvious to the casual user.… Read the rest “RETROFIT CONSTRUCTED CONSERVATION BUNDS AND TERRACES WITH VETIVER HEDGEROWS”
Dick Grimshaw
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Newsletter (NL2026-03) – Mapping the Vetiver System Worldwide, Vetiver México’s ‘Vetiver for the Earth’ Competition, Paseo Ambiental Orégano (Venezuela) Celebrates 5th Anniversary, Farmer innovation/Solomon Islands, Community-first vetiver model for landslide-prone hillsides, Slope stabilization and carbon capture

Mapping the Vetiver System Worldwide: A New Country-by-Country Evidence Table TVNI has compiled a comprehensive country-by-country evidence table documenting the global reach of the Vetiver System. The table currently covers 120 countries and territories — each assessed across six evidence categories: published research, documented field projects, government/institutional adoption, supplier presence, network presence, and recent activity (post-2015). How It Was Built. The table was generated through a systematic research process using AI-assisted search across TVNI’s own archives (vetiver.org,… Read the rest “Newsletter (NL2026-03) – Mapping the Vetiver System Worldwide, Vetiver México’s ‘Vetiver for the Earth’ Competition, Paseo Ambiental Orégano (Venezuela) Celebrates 5th Anniversary, Farmer innovation/Solomon Islands, Community-first vetiver model for landslide-prone hillsides, Slope stabilization and carbon capture”
Jim Smyle
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Labels: agriculture, climate change, climate change adaptation, community, design standards, disaster mitigation, erosion, Establishment, infrastructure, land restoration, Promotion & Dissemination, slope stabilization, upscaling vetiver, Vetiver research, waterTagged , , , , , , , ,