How Healthy Soils Can Help Battle Climate Change
For many people it may just look like dirt. But soil – the complex ecosystem containing minerals and many living organisms – is the foundation for our ability to grow healthy crops and food. But there is even more soil can do for us. We talked to Charles Foresman, Sustainable Agriculture Systems Lead at Bayer, about how a better understanding of this important ecosystem can also help us to farm more sustainably and at the same time counter climate change.
Charles, Soil Has Received More Public Attention in the past Months. Why Is It So Important for Humanity?
Civilizations have been made and destroyed based on the health of their soils. It is the foundation for successful harvests and soil is becoming more and more important for food production and food security. We have lost nearly half of the topsoil on the planet in the past 150 years and it can take thousands of years to newly form a small layer of topsoil after being eroded. So, it is vital that we focus on soil health and farm more sustainably in order to ensure food security for the future.
Healthy Soils
What Causes Soil Erosion and What Can Farmers Do to Prevent It?
When soil is broken up and turned during tilling, it increases the probability that the soil will erode through wind or rain. Modern farming practices, such as no-till help farmers to leave the soil undisturbed and thus promote soil health. Other practices to increase soil health and reduce erosion are rotating crops and using cover crops, which are planted between growing seasons of a farmer’s primary crop. This all helps to keep nutrients and organic matter in the soil, leading to better harvests. We learned more about soil health in the last five years than we did in the last five decades and better understand how the ecosystem works and how we can work with nature.
