Credit: Giulio Napolitano. © FAO
Director-General Jacques Diouf of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization issued a statement on September 7, 2011, regarding growing concerns about global soil resources and food security.
Speaking in Rome at a three-day meeting to launch the new Global Soil Partnership for Food Security and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, Diouf said, “Soil is an essential component of the world’s production systems and ecosystems. But it is also a fragile and non-renewable resource. It is very easily degraded and it is slow, difficult and expensive to regenerate.”
Soil depletion and degradation is directly related to the world’s hunger crisis. Healthy agriculture depends on nutrient-rich soil, rain or irrigation systems, non-toxic fertilizers, organic seed supplies, as well as education and physical strength to plant and harvest. While deforestation and climate changes contribute to partial loss of soil and wreak havoc with ecosystems, other concerns arise from a long list of causes, including massive, industrialized crop farms and insufficient funds to support community farming or water management.
In desert regions, soil turns into useless, rock-hard cakes then blows away in the wind. NASA has footage showing a dust cloud that originates in Asia migrating to the US mainland. African-born dust can cross the Atlantic Ocean and reach the Caribbean and the Americas in under a week. While 13 million tons of dust may annually drift between Africa and Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador or Peru, where it settles and what it carries warrant much further study and analysis.
Meanwhile, Somalia is suffering. Beyond national governance issues, desertification continues its devastating march. Even as other nations of the world endure poverty and hunger, the crisis in the Horn of Africa is currently the most severe.
According to Margaret Aguirre, Director of Global Communications for the International Medical Corps, “This crisis has now affected a staggering 12.4 million people – it has killed tens of thousands, and put 400,000 children at risk of starvation. Think about those numbers. Roll them around in your head.”
The people of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Somalia must rely on emergency assistance until the root causes are effectively addressed and solutions present in a timely manner. Sustainable resilient agriculture is key to survival – whether you live in Africa, Haiti, Nepal or Utah.
Ways You Can Help
To express your compassion for those suffering from hunger, contact any reputable organization asking for donations of time and resources. If you have a mobile phone in the US, text “AFRICA” to 80888 to donate $10 via the International Medical Corps. Volunteer locally or abroad to help teach about erosion prevention, community farming and clean water. Fight hunger at home by donating nutritious food to your local food bank or spiritual organization.
Other ways to help conserve and build soil include starting a compost bin in your own home garden and spreading the decomposed matter around plants. Small farm owners can grow cover crops such as rye, buckwheat, clover, cowpeas, millet, and sorghum which add nutrients and organic matter to soil. Rotate crops and create diverse plant habitats.
Sustainable urban gardens in Caracus, Venezuala, conserve soil and provide food. Credit: Giulio Napolitano. © FAO
Water wisely; avoid pollution of the soil and groundwaters; buy organic seed and non-toxic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Don’t spray your yard with toxic chemicals such as Roundup to kill weeds – these inevitably affect water and soil in your vicinity and then spread to other locations.
If you don’t grow your own food, shop at your local farmer’s markets and talk to the growers about the key issues. Get out with nature conservancy organizations or groups like the Sierra Club to plant trees or ground covers that help reduce soil erosion. Imagine how growing ice plant on a California hillside could help prevent more dust blowing to distant lands.
And while you’re using your imagination, perhaps you can conceive of other ways to prevent soil depletion, eliminate hunger and secure ongoing food supplies for people of all nations. It’s quite okay to roll big dreams around in your head, too. Our world needs that.
