Soil

An essential ingredient to healthy food and nutrition

Declaration of the World Summit on Food Security (2009): “Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food, which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”

The 4 dimensions of food security:

Food production and availability through

agronomic management of soil resources

Stability of food production and

availability at all times

Food safety and

utilization through nutritious and biological

quality

Food access through

economic and physical capacity of households

or communities

However our soils are under threat

Soil degradation: 75% due to unsustainable agricultural practices

Soil degradation affects especially:

Food production and availability through

agronomic management of soil resources

Stability of food production and

availability at all times

Food safety and

utilization through nutritious and biological

quality

Food access through

economic and physical capacity of households

or communities

Erosión costera en Granada

Badlands in Guatemala Removal of soil cover, Italy

Soil sealing in Bolivia Nutrient depletion in Kenya Flooding in Honduras

Soil erosion in Haiti

HOW ???

Affecting food production: lower soil productivity, lower yields and sometimes crop failure (due to soil infertility). Affecting food quality content: crops with lower nutritious content.

Food safety and utilization

There are 18 essential elements that plants must have in order to grow and have nutrient-rich tissues

But soil degradation does not only affect the nutrient content of our food…

SOIL POLLUTION

The soil is where our food grow…

Uptake of pollutants (e.g. heavy metals)

Accumulation in the food chain

Food production, availability and stability

URBANISATION & SOIL SEALING: availability of arable land

EROSION, POLLUTION, ACIDIFICATION, SALINIZATION & SODIFICATION: soil fertility, pH and salt content

COMPACTION: soil structure porosity & water availability, soil biodiversity

- Availability of micro- and macro nutrients - Top-soil

• Primary driving agents of nutrient cycling • Regulate the dynamics of soil organic matter, soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emission • Modify soil physical structure and water regimes • Enhance the amount and efficiency of nutrient

acquisition by the vegetation and enhancing plant health

What can be done to prevent soil degradation and ensure

food security ???

To promote Sustainable Soil Management

Beyond 2015

Sustainable soil management also part of the

3.9 By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination

2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that […] progressively improve land and soil quality

12.4 By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment

15.3 By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world

Beyond 2015

Thanks for your attention