ABSTRACT
Soils sustain our existence. The soil is expected to provide humans, as well as all living terrestrial creatures, with food. This expectation is clearly defined in national and international policies worldwide. The production of biomass for food, fibers, and fuels is recognized as one of the major functions and services of the soil. But what sustains soil when human impacts render it no longer self-sustaining? Could sustainable sanitation be seen as a way of feeding the soil—a form of reverse sustenance to offset motions of degradation and desertification? In a series of e-mails and Skype interviews, the authors discuss case studies of small-scale sustainable sanitation and the challenges for planning and managing dry toilets in the city.
