World Soil Day today thursday 5th December. In this blog, we’ve joined forces with The Soil Association to explain what World Soil Day is, why soil health is important, and what you can do to improve soil health in your local area.
What is World Soil Day?
World Soil Day is held on the 5th December every year. It aims to raise awareness of the importance of healthy soil and the critical role it plays in food production, biodiversity and mitigating climate change.
Why do we need healthy soil?
The impacts of soil health are far reaching. Here are some of the reasons why we need to build up the health of our soils again:
Healthy soil provides nutrient rich food: Soil produces 95% of the entire world’s food. Without healthy soil, farmers would be unable to produce quality food for us. Depleted soil has several impacts including fewer nutrients in our food (which has a direct impact on our health), less choice and higher prices if certain crops fail.
Healthy soil absorbs carbon from our atmosphere: Soil is the world’s second largest carbon sink. But it’s being damaged by human activity, disrupting water systems, food production and releasing previously stored carbon.
Healthy soil is home to important biodiversity: It’s estimated that over half of the world’s species live in the soil. These microorganisms are essential for nutrient-packed food that keep us healthy, play an important role in carbon sequestration and are even used to produce medicines and vaccines.
Healthy soil improves water quality and protects against droughts and floods: Healthy soil acts as a natural filter, removing potential pollutants from rainwater. It can also store as much as 3,750 tonnes of water per hectare, building resilience to droughts and floods. Unhealthy soil that has become compacted loses the ability to absorb so much water, increasing the risk of localized flooding.
Healthy soil is less likely to erode: 50% of the planet’s topsoil has been lost to erosion over the last 150 years. Not only does this reduce the available fertile land, it clogs waterways and increases river pollution.
What can I do to improve soil health?
Campaign for change: Organizations’ like the Soil Association lobby the Government to support positive changes to food, farming and land use laws. You can get involved in some of the Soil Associations campaigns here.
If you’re involved with farming, check out some of the Soil Associations resources on improving your farm’s soil health.
Choose organic: If you want to champion soil health in your daily life, choosing organic produce is a great way to do this. Organic farming is better for the environment as it avoids nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer and builds up healthy living soils that absorb carbon from the atmosphere. Organic fruit and veg can be better for your health too.
Grow your own: Growing your own fruit and veg is the most sustainable and healthy way to get your food. What’s more, it helps to recycle nutrients back into the soil.
Just keeping a cover of plants in your garden takes care of soil health as it prevents nutrients from being washed away. Apply compost (points for producing your own) to boost soil health further.