Soil – Our silent ally in feeding the world
Did you know that 95 percent of the world's food comes from the soil? When viewed in the light of a projected 9 billion mouths to feed by 2050—and the need to produce 70 to 100 percent more food than we do today to meet that demand—preserving soils is unarguably crucial.
World Soil Day is an annual day of recognition that takes place Dec. 5th. It has positioned soils front and centre as a major resource in the quest for global sustainability. The effort in highlighting the importance of soil received an added boost when 2015 was designated the International Year of Soils.
At Alltech Crop Science we want you to join us in celebrating World Soil Day by sharing some interesting facts.
Did you know?
- Soil is the basis for food, feed, fuel and fibre production. It is the reservoir for at least a quarter of global biodiversity and therefore requires the same attention as above-ground biodiversity.
- Healthy soil is fundamental to food security and nutrition. Approximately 95 percent of our food comes from our soil.
- Soil is teeming with life – soils host a quarter of our plants' biodiversity.
- More than one third of our food goes to waste – and up to half of our households waste could be composted to help create new soil.
- 11ha of soils are sealed under expanding cities every hour in Europe.
- Healthy soils play a key role in the supply of clean water and resilience to floods and droughts.
Want to know more about soil and what it comprises of? Dr. Mark Gaffney hosted a webinar titled What lies beneath – The hidden side of agriculture. You can watch it here. You can also find out more on Alltech Crop Science and its research on crop production here.
Join us in celebrating World Soil Day our social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.