By Alyson Lundstrom
Originally Published for ZeroMe
Sometimes called the world’s “Black Gold '' soil is more important to your daily life than you may think. The thin layer that is the product of biological and geological processes isn’t going anywhere; however, our arable fertile soils are currently eroding at 10 to 15 times that rate that can be replaced.
The United Nations has deemed fertile soil, the kind full of vital nutrients that our food system depends on, a finite resource. Just like fossil fuels and coal, fertile soil is a resource that is concentrated or formed at slower rates than consumption. For all practical purposes, finite resources are nonrenewable.
Why Is Soil Fertility Important
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, soil fertility is the ability of soil to sustain plant growth while being tended to have regenerative qualities for future plant growth. Fertile soils are essential contributors to food security, good yields for farmers, and economic development for nearly every country.
Our Food System
Our food system relies on healthy, fertile soil, and a lot of it. The accelerated need to feed a booming population has contributed to the use of chemical fertilizers and inorganic compounds that may create higher food yields but, in the process, leave behind polluted land and water systems.
Clean Drinking Water
Soil acts as a purifier for drinking water. It is the medium in which life is sustained through plant growth, the recycling of matter and nutrients, and the cycling and purification of water. The loss of topsoil through global climate change endangers one of nature's best water purification systems.
Biodiversity
We know that our oceans, mountains, and tropical rainforests host a tremendous amount of the earth’s biodiversity, but what about what lies below? Soil is the habitat for over 25% of the planet’s biodiversity. Every gram of soil contains millions of cells and microbes like bacteria and fungi that play a vital role in the ecosystem.
Simply put, the loss of this finite resource means that the global food supply, clean drinking water, and biodiversity are threatened.
How Is Global Climate Change Affecting Soil Health
Our fertile soil is currently at the mercy of climate change related pressures. Changing weather patterns affect soil erosion, organic carbon content, nutrient levels, and alkalinity.
Erosion is possibly the biggest threat to soils due to climate change. The loss of nutrient-rich topsoil is a critical issue with a global effect. Soil erosion most often occurs when soil is exposed to strong winds, hard rains, and flowing water. It isn’t only the changing weather patterns that affect the loss of fertile soil. In some cases, human activities, especially farming and land clearing, leave soil vulnerable to erosion.
According to the United Nations, soil erosion may reduce up to 10% of crop yields by 2050, which may not sound like much. However, a loss of 10% of fertile soil is the equivalent of removing millions of acres of farmland.
What Can Be Done
The good news is that there are many solutions available to not only prevent the loss of fertile land but potentially increase it.
Regenerative Farming
An ongoing study over the past forty years out of the Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania has shown a side-by-side comparison of organic and conventional grain cropping systems in America.
Their research reveals that regenerative, organic agriculture produces yields of up to 40% more during droughts and can earn farmers greater profits. In addition, regenerative farming practices that prioritize soil health release 40% fewer carbon emissions than conventional agricultural practices.
Government Support
Government can and should promote sustainable agricultural practices, technologies, and management in order to ensure soil fertility and nutrient management.
There is also an International Code of Conduct for the Sustainable Use and Management of Fertilizers that promotes practices, including nutrient recycling and agronomic and land management, to improve soil health.
This council makes recommendations for the regulation of sales, distribution, and labeling of fertilizer products helping to maintain soil health.
So the next time you’re working in the garden, send a little gratitude to the “Black Gold” that quietly sustains all life.
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