Soil is of utmost importance, as it contributes to the growing of food, reduction of biodiversity loss, and securing of energy. Due to the loss of soil and the ongoing phenomena faced by the world, such as climate change, the United Nations saw the need to raise awareness of the importance of soil loss; thus the creation of World Soil Day, which is to be officially celebrated on December 5 every year.
World Soil Day 2022 is being celebrated under the theme “Soils: Where food begins”. This campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being by addressing the growing challenges in soil management, increasing soil awareness, and encouraging societies to improve soil health.
Soil nutrient loss is a major soil degradation process that is threatening nutrition. It is recognised as being among the most important problems at a global level for food security and sustainability all around the globe. Problems like deforestation, bad agricultural practices, and pollution cause soil degradation and erosion.
World Soil Day 2022, “Soils: Where food begins”, aims to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human wellbeing by addressing the growing challenges in soil management, increasing soil awareness, and encouraging societies to improve soil health.
Soil is like a world comprised of organisms, minerals, and organic components that provide food for humans and animals through plant growth. Just like us humans, soils need a balanced and varied supply of nutrients to be healthy. Within the agricultural systems, nutrients are lost during each harvest, and if soils are not managed in a sustainable manner, fertility is progressively lost, and soils would produce nutrient-deficient plants – a situation which directly affects crop production and impacts the economic growth.
Remember, soil nutrient loss is a major soil degradation process that is threatening nutrition. It is recognized as being among the most critical problems at a global level for food security and sustainability all around the globe. We can work to correct this global phenomenon!
* Apply fertilizer during selected periods to prevent storm run-off
* Select fertilizers that do not have a high phosphorous and/or nitrogen content
* Reuse crop-production waste as fertilizers for the land
* Use vegetative buffers, which work as filters around surface water
“Did you know that there are more living organisms in a tablespoon of soil than people on Earth?”
(#WorldSoilDay)
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