Articles

Soils are vital to our survival. They store greenhouse gases and water and are home to at least a quarter of all living creatures on earth. However, over 60 percent of soils in the EU are damaged and their sealing threatens biodiversity.

Soil is the foundation of life on Earth. Its beauty and complexity as a living ecosystem are vast, and its functions are integral to our lives. For example, 95 percent of global food production depends on healthy soils, making access to fertile soil essential in the fight against hunger. Soils are also a crucial ally in adapting to climate change, as they help buffer the effects of droughts and floods. 

Soil degradation is a major but largely neglected global problem that threatens agricultural productivity, food security, and ecosystem health. Around one-third of soils worldwide are degraded, with over 40 percent located in Africa.

While desertification is a problem most commonly associated with Africa or Asia, it is not limited to these regions. Intensive agriculture and the climate crisis have also led to severe soil degradation and desertification in Europe. And not just in southern Europe: even countries with temperate and humid climates, such as Hungary and Bulgaria, are affected.

As the climate crisis intensifies around the world, severe storms and flooding are becoming more frequent. Healthy soils can help buffer the effects of extreme weather. For that reason, soil protection is more important than ever. Yet, it is still neglected.

Overuse of artificial fertiliser is bad for soils and, in the case of nitrogen fertilisers, for the climate as well. Moreover, pesticides deplete the soil of beneficial organisms. Yet these products earn big money for big companies, which influence governments, often blocking policy changes needed to protect people and the environment.

Synthetic fertilisers harm the climate, but industrial farming relies heavily on them. Additionally, higher fertiliser prices have pushed up prices for food commodities. African countries, where food crises intersect with debt crises, are hit especially hard.

Phosphorus is bioessential, meaning that all living organisms require it. Yet, despite its presence in soils, it is a relatively rare element on Earth and is not always found in a form that plants can absorb. The fertiliser industry produces easily soluble phosphorus but depends on a finite, non-substitutable resource: phosphate rock.

The production of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions upstream. But it does not solve the problems associated with excessive use of synthetic fertilisers, such as diminished soil health, biodiversity loss, on-field greenhouse gas emissions, nitrate pollution, and overdependency on external inputs.