EM is the use of naturally existing 'good' microbes to solve many different problems, as well as, to innovate solutions that are natural, safe, and effective.

Examples: improve soils without chemicals; keep pests away without pesticides; recycle food waste efficiently without malodors; treat waste water and septic systems with little or no aeration and naturally controlling the odor; manufacture products, including everyday personal care and home products, without the use of chemicals that may otherwise end up in our bodies; produce cleaning products with organic ingredients that end up being incredibly powerful cleaners.
The common factor to all of these examples is microorganisms.

EM = Effective Microorganisms™

EM Technology® is the methods, techniques, applications, and implementations of EM-1.

EM-1® is the core product used in EM Technology. EM-1 is a liquid, mostly water, that contains a combination of microorganisms. The liquid is brown in color due to the molasses ingredient. (The official name uses a bullet mark '•' instead of a hyphen or dash, that is, EM•1®. Therefore, if searching for the term "EM-1", in some documents, as well as websites, you may have to also try searching for "EM•1".)

EM Technology was first developed for use in farming, mainly in improving the soil without the use of chemicals. It later developed into applications to livestock and over time to environmental, industrial, and health applications.

What are the reasons why EM works in such a broad range of applications?

1. because microorganisms exists everywhere
2. because EM-1 consists of a combination of microorganisms (a team of different species working together)
3. because EM-1 consists of powerful beneficial microbes (the different species are the dominant among their kind)
4. because EM-1 consists of naturally existing microbes (nature has taken millions of years to create them--you cannot predict the consequences if you modify or engineer them genetically)
5. because some of the key byproducts of the microbes in EM-1 include antioxidants, factors that counter deterioration, decay, and putrefaction.
6. because another key byproduct from the microbes in EM-1 are the nearly 100 types of enzymes that help to break down, digest, and/or eat away grease, oils, foods, organic matter, fibers, lignen, cellulose, etc.
7. because the microbes in EM-1 love to eat what we consider waste and include a natural detoxifier.

Additionally, EM-1 consists of safe, non-toxic, and non-pathogenic microorganisms and most of the microbes in EM-1 are also found in the foods we eat.
All of the microbes in EM-1 are also classified as Biosafety Level 1. Items that are Biosafety Level 1 (BSL-1) are known NOT to cause diseases in healthy human adults. The classification is based on assessment of the potential risk using U.S. Public Health Service guidelines and also as provided by the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) scientific advisory committees. All of the lactic acid bacteria and yeasts in EM-1 are on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) GRAS list (generally recognized as safe).

EM-1 is OMRI Listed (as EM•1 Microbial Inoculant). From www.omri.org in their About page, "The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) is a national nonprofit organization that determines which input products are allowed for use in organic production and processing. OMRI Listed--or approved--products may be used on operations that are certified organic under the USDA National Organic Program."
To see where EM•1 is listed, go to "OMRI Products List" (left menu on their site) and at the bottom of the page, click on "web version." There, click on "Complete OMRI Products List" to see their list as a PDF file. In the PDF, search for "EM•1".

EM came about as a result of searching for an alternative to agricultural chemicals.

... To be continued.