Why The World Is Running Out Of Soil
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Published 2022-06-05
“There are places that have already lost all of their topsoil,” Jo Handelsman, author of “A World Without Soil,” and a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told CNBC.
“We have identified 10 soil threats in our global report … Soil erosion is number one because it’s taking place everywhere,” Ronald Vargas, the secretary of the Global Soil Partnership and Land and Water Officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, told CNBC.
According to the U.N., soil erosion may reduce up to 10% of crop yields by 2050, which is the equivalent of removing millions of acres of farmland.
And when the world loses soil, food supply, clean drinking water and biodiversity are threatened.
What’s more, soil plays an important role in mitigating climate change.
Soil contains more than three times the amount of carbon in the earth’s atmosphere and four times as much in all living plants and animals combined, according to the Columbia Climate School.
“Soil is the habitat for over a quarter of the planet’s biodiversity. Each gram of soil contains millions of cells of bacteria and fungi that play a very important role in all ecosystem services,” Reza Afshar, chief scientist at the regenerative agriculture research farm at the Rodale Institute, told CNBC.
The Rodale Institute in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, is known as the birthplace of modern organic agriculture.
“The projects we do here are centered around improving and rebuilding soil health. We have a farming system trial that’s been running for 42 years,” Afshar said. It is the longest-running side-by-side comparison of organic and conventional grain cropping systems in North America.
The research has found regenerative, organic agriculture produces yields up to 40% higher during droughts, can earn farmers greater profits and releases 40% fewer carbon emissions than conventional agricultural practices.
How’s that possible? The Rodale Institute says it all starts with the soil.
“When we talk about healthy soil, we are talking about all aspects of the soil, chemical, physical and biological that should be in a perfect status to be able to produce healthy food for us,” Afshar said.
It’s critical, of course, because the world relies on soil for 95% of our food production. But that’s just the beginning of its importance.
“The good news is that we know enough to get to work,” Dianna Bagnall, a research soil scientist at the Soil Health Institute, told CNBC.
Watch the video above to learn more about why we’re facing a silent soil crisis, how soil can be saved and what that means for the world.
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Why The World Is Running Out Of Soil
All Comments (21)
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Seems like we’re just running out of everything… 😔
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I’m a farmer. It’s important to understand that we are all part of the same process in which we all have influence. What you want to eat, how and when you get your food etc all has powerful direct links to the production and processing of it. It’s an industrialised system that is out of balance. If we all find out about how food is produced and processed, what this means for our health, the soils and the environment, we can make decisions about our diets that can translate directly to managing soils in a way that gives better outcomes. It is actually very straightforward, it just needs us to learn some stuff and then step up to the plate.
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One of the way to protect soil is through multiple, continuous cover crops but some insurance companies refuse to insure farmers who do this. Without insurance, farmers wishing to do covercropping are also denied government funding. Some of these insurance companies are part of the corporate conglomerates the already get the overwhelming majority of funding for farmers...
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Two words: regenerative agriculture.
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I kind of wish CNBC included a few farmers in this session. After all, they do a lot of talking on behalf of farmers.
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As a soils Conservationist I'm very, very glad somone in the media is finally talking about this. I'm a bit disappointed that you didn't mention the nutrients loss in the foods produced in tilled soils vs no till with cc. Or the ability to stop using fertilizer over time and still improve yeidls in no till with cc and intercrops. A bit disappointed ya didn't have Ray Archuleta on for this one as well. Still thank you for spreading this information to new people beyond our normal interactions!
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Subsidised agriculture is a contributing factor. If the farmer wasn't subsidised to grow certain crops they would be more inclined to get away from mono culture and introduce grazing animals. The price of farm land in subsidised country's would also be more realistic in value. If we can farm in Australia without subsidies in our harsh environment why do the Americans need them? Maybe because of greed at the upper levels of business and government.
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The best thing that the world can do is to dump ethanol. 40% of all corn grown in the US is only meant to be burned in vehicles even though it makes up only 7% of the US fuel demand. This equals almost 35 MILLION Acres of land that could be put to a much better use of growing actual food, or for conservation land
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Sadhguru was the first one to put me into this issue. I truly believe many of our ailments are a consequence of massive crop production on the same soil year after year.
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One of the first doctors who saw this coming and promoted regenerative agriculture was Dr. Zach Bush. He's a visionary for world living in harmony with nature.
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Over population and pollution is getting out of hand.
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If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand.
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I'm a farmer that has moved 100% to no till, my biggest barriers are that I'm at the mercy of rental equipment availability (more funding to SWCDs and NRCS offices for drills and combines would solve that) and there's no way for me to get insurance on my crops if I grow crops over dormant perennial cover crops. Regulation is too rigidly focused on conventional tillage and or the incremental steps away from it and not the ideal solutions.
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"Take the plow as a human impact" proceeds to show a seeder Sums up the agricultural knowledge of 98% of people : about zero
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This is exactly what Sadhguru is telling the world through "Save Soil Movement". Thanks for spreading awareness. Appreciate the effort.
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Earth's got enough for everyone's need but not enough for everyone's greed
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Thanks Shadguru for trying to make the wave on " Save Soil " movement - one of the genuine concerning factors for ecosystem of mother earth. Even 2/3 years ago I was not much concern and knowledgeable about this issue.
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My father worked for the soul conservation service in Pennsylvania in the 1960's, and I learned from him how to do a better job working with farmers, road builders, loggers, and in landscaping as a result. Does this organization still exist?
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This is what happens to humanity when there is no sense of belonging to the environment and no understanding of our utter dependence on it, pathetic lack of wisdom and greed above all other values
