Soil degradation threatens food supply and scientists are calling for action
ABCSoil is like the earth's skin — a protective layer that makes up a complex ecosystem. That skin, which supports all life on Earth, is under threat, with scientists from a new global think tank warning 90 per cent of the planet's soil could be degraded by 2050 unless urgent action is taken. An SSTT report, Making Policy Using the Soil Security Concept, blames farming systems that prioritise production over the environment for the current degradation, which has been estimated by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation to affect 40 per cent of the world's soil. "70 per cent of farming now is 'no-till', so they're not disturbing the soil, they're keeping vegetation and cropping on it so it doesn't erode," he said. "We see a loss in the soil's ability to cycle water, cycle nutrients, and cycle carbon," Dr Morgan said.
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