BIMF wastes little. Nutrients are recycled through the composting of all crop waste. Cover crops, plant diversity and limited tilled ground ensures little loss of soil and nutrients to erosion and leaching. BIMF practices also have the potential to build soils for long-term production. Research has shown that 500 years worth of humified soil carbon, a major indicator of fertility and soil maturation, may be accumulated in as little as eight and a half years.
Capital requirements are one of the most significant barriers to entry in modern agriculture.
BIMF uses small areas, does not need expensive irrigation equipment, avoids the purchase of petroleum-fueled cultivation and harvesting machinery and reduces expenses for annual inputs. As a result, it is an enterprise accessible to those with limited financial and land resources. In order to keep stewards on the land, agriculture must supply them with an adequate standard of living. A family can garden 3-6 acres. Trends that might favor the growth of BIMF include the heightened interest in locally grown and organic foods.