Global Agriculture and UN World Soil Day

On December 5, the United Nations, and its Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), celebrates World Soil Day to raise awareness internationally. Soil, in all of its varieties, is essential for the subsistence of humanity and our ecosystem. Soils are important because they provide innumerable nutrients and filtration systems for our atmosphere, which allow humans and animals to breathe clean air and drink fresh water. Similarly, fertile soils are essential for agriculture worldwide because most crops require a rich terrain as well as irrigation in order to flourish. In fact, over 90% of the world’s food supply is directly dependent on the Earth’s soils.

However, as the global population continues to grow and societies become increasingly urban, the Earth’s soils are being stressed in unprecedented ways. Firstly, farmers and companies within the agriculture industry are constantly looking for ways to maximize crop yields, which can sometimes lead to the depletion of the soil’s nutrients and water resources. Secondly, climate variations can provoke desertification, flooding, and soil acidity or salinity, amongst other phenomena that negatively affect global agriculture. Currently, the UN estimates that more than 30% of the world’s soils are degraded because of inappropriate exploitation or climate variation. There are several types of soils, some of which are more fertile than others; this article explores the different kinds and explains which ones are best for agricultural production.

Global Agriculture and UN World Soil Day

In 2016, pulses are being highlighted by the FAO as part of World Soil Day. Pulses are crops harvested for their edible seeds, such as lentils, dried beans, and peas. Not only are pulse crops highlighted because they represent a nutritious and secure food source, but also because pulses naturally contribute to the balancing of nitrogen levels within the soil. Furthermore, pulse crops serve as natural fertilizers given that they help release the natural phosphorus stored within certain soil types.

Soils are typically a mixture of organic materials; however, they can be classified depending on the predominant material. For example, two types of soils that are not useful for agricultural production are rocky and sandy. Both of these soils lack the necessary nutrients to grow crops that require large amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, or hydrogen. Similarly, rocky and sandy soils tend to store too much heat, which can be severely harmful to plants growing in it. Finally, these two types of soil, because of their consistency, do not retain water at the necessary level for crops to flourish.

Amongst the most productive soil types for agricultural purposes are peat, or turf, and loam. Both of these soils contain a mixture of organic materials such as sand, clay, and silt. Furthermore, both turf and loam soil are capable of retaining substantial amounts of water and humidity. Because of their composition, these two types of soil experience gradual temperature variations that the plant being hosted can adapt to. Finally, turf and loam soils contain important amounts to carbon from decomposing matter that boost crop and plant growth.

(Read more about United Nations Climate Change Conference 2016)