STARVING… FOR HEALTHY SOIL
Soil is the most basic foundation of our food security.
Recent scientific assessments have found that one third of the globe’s land is significantly degraded due to numerous factors such as erosion, salinization, compaction, acidification and not least of all, chemical pollution. This is an alarming and astonishing statistic. Just as global demands for food are increasing at unprecedented rates, the healthy agricultural basis needed to support this demand is shrinking at a rapid rate. (Source: Science Direct).
Soil composition is diverse, complex and varies greatly from region to region, but generally, healthy soil requires the following:
- Balance of moisture
- Gases
- Organic matter
- Minerals
- Microorganisms
HOW CAN WE HELP SOIL DO ITS JOB?
Regenerative Agriculture is a system of practices and principles that increases biodiversity, enriches soils, improves watersheds, and enhances the ecosystem’s natural functions. The key is to not only NOT HARM the land but actually to improve its capacity by using practices that revitalize the soil and the surrounding environment. It is a dynamic and holistic approach to agriculture that incorporates the use of
- Permaculture & organic farming
- Conservation tillage
- Cover crops & crop rotation
- Composting
- Pasture cropping and more!
Healthy soil can produce high quality and nutrient-dense food, while simultaneously improving the land. Farmers around the world are beginning to incorporate these techniques, from switching to no-till and cover cropping for carbon sequestration and increased nutrients, to rotating crops and pasture cropping to increase nitrogen needs from green and animal manures and eliminating all chemical dependency on pesticides and herbicides. (SOURCE: Regeneration International)
These methods are changing the way we farm and they are changing the soil – for the better. This revolution in agriculture is leading to productive, independent farms, who in turn, can support healthy communities, healthy economies and a healthier future. The soil needs us, and we need it – let’s restore the balance!
Be Well. Be You.