Why The World Is Running Out Of Soil

Summary

The script highlights the critical role of soil in sustaining life, emphasizing the alarming rate of soil degradation and its implications for food security and the environment. It underscores the importance of regenerative, organic farming practices that can improve soil health, increase yields, and reduce carbon emissions. The Rodale Institute's research supports these practices, demonstrating their long-term benefits for both the planet and farmers' profitability. The script calls for a shift in agricultural policies to encourage sustainable farming methods and the need for investment and education to combat soil erosion and its far-reaching consequences.

Takeaways

• 🌱 Soil is crucial for life, yet it's under threat with the United Nations predicting catastrophic loss within 60 years.
• 🌪 Soil erosion is identified as the top threat to soil health, affecting food supply and clean water availability.
• 🌾 The impact of soil degradation could lead to a staggering $23 trillion in losses globally by 2050.
• 🐦 Soil is the habitat for a significant portion of the planet's biodiversity, playing a vital role in climate change mitigation.
• 🌱 The Rodale Institute promotes regenerative, organic agriculture as a solution to improve and rebuild soil health.
• 🌱 Organic farming has been shown to produce higher yields during droughts, earn greater profits, and emit less carbon.
• 💧 Soil acts as the world's largest water filter, purifying water as it moves through the ground to the aquifers.
• 🌿 Soil health is linked to ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, which is invisible but critical for the environment.
• 🌱 Soil contains a vast amount of carbon, more than the atmosphere and all living plants and animals combined.
• 💊 Soil is the source of many antibiotics, with 75% of clinical antibiotics derived from soil bacteria.
• 🚜 Unsustainable agricultural practices, overgrazing, deforestation, and improper land use are major causes of soil degradation.
• 🌱 Regenerative farming practices such as no-till farming, rotational cattle grazing, and diverse crop cultivation can help reduce soil erosion.
• 🌱 Cover crops and integrating animals into farming can add organic matter to the soil, supporting its health and productivity.
• 💰 Economic studies show that sustainable farming practices can be more profitable for farmers and reduce costs.
• 🛠️ Investment in sustainable farming is needed, as many farmers lack the means to transition to these practices.
• 🏛️ Policy changes, such as rethinking subsidies and introducing soil insurance, could encourage the adoption of sustainable farming practices.

Q & A

Why is soil often overlooked despite its importance?

Soil is often considered as 'dirt' and is ubiquitous, leading to a common misconception that it is an infinite resource. However, soil is crucial for life as it supports our food supply, clean drinking water, and biodiversity.

What did the United Nations predict about soil loss?

The United Nations declared soil as a finite resource and predicted catastrophic loss within 60 years, highlighting the urgency of soil preservation.

What is the primary threat identified for soil health?

Soil erosion is identified as the primary threat due to its widespread occurrence, which can lead to the loss of fertile topsoil and threaten food security and clean water supply.

How does soil degradation impact the global economy?

Soil degradation could result in losses of food, ecosystem services, and income totaling $23 trillion worldwide by 2050, indicating a significant economic impact.

Why is soil important for mitigating climate change?

Soil is the habitat for over a quarter of the planet's biodiversity and plays a crucial role in carbon sequestration, storing more carbon than the atmosphere and all living plants and animals combined.

What is the Rodale Institute and what does it focus on?

The Rodale Institute is a research organization that focuses on regenerative, organic agriculture and improving soil health. It is also recognized as the birthplace of modern organic agriculture.

How does organic agriculture benefit the environment and farmers?

Organic agriculture has been found to produce yields up to 40% higher during droughts, earn farmers greater profits, and release 40% fewer carbon emissions compared to conventional farming.

What role does soil play in water purification?

Soil acts as the world's largest water filter, cleaning water as it percolates through the soil and down to the groundwater, removing bacteria, toxins, and other contaminants.

How is soil erosion accelerated by human activities?

Human activities such as intensive farming, overgrazing, deforestation, and improper land use, along with climate change, have exacerbated soil erosion, making it faster than the natural soil formation rate.

What are some regenerative farming practices that can help combat soil degradation?

Regenerative farming practices include no-till farming, rotational cattle grazing, reducing synthetic fertilizers, and growing cover and diverse crops, which can help maintain soil health and reduce erosion.

How can policy changes support sustainable farming practices?

Policy changes, such as rethinking subsidies and introducing soil insurance, can encourage farmers to adopt sustainable practices by providing financial incentives and support for the transition to regenerative agriculture.

Outlines

00:00

🌱 The Silent Soil Crisis

The script addresses the critical issue of soil degradation, emphasizing its importance to life and the environment. It highlights the alarming prediction by the United Nations of catastrophic soil loss within 60 years and the identification of ten soil threats, with soil erosion being the most pressing. The summary underscores the impact of soil loss on food supply, clean water, and biodiversity, as well as its role in climate change mitigation. The Rodale Institute's work in regenerative, organic agriculture is introduced, showcasing its benefits such as higher yields during droughts, greater farmer profits, and reduced carbon emissions. The script also explains the multifaceted nature of soil health, its significance in global food production, water filtration, and ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration.

05:04

🛠️ Combating Soil Degradation Through Sustainable Practices

This paragraph delves into the causes of soil degradation, such as unsustainable agriculture, overgrazing, deforestation, and climate change, and the urgent need for new antibiotics due to the resistance of infectious diseases. It discusses the acceleration of soil erosion due to human activities like plowing, which is much faster than the natural rate of soil formation. The script introduces regenerative farming practices as a solution, including no-till farming, rotational cattle grazing, and the use of cover and diverse crops. It also mentions the economic viability and benefits of these practices, such as reduced costs and increased income for farmers, and the support from companies and government policies that could encourage a shift towards sustainable agriculture.

10:06

💼 Policy and Economic Incentives for Soil Health

The final paragraph focuses on the role of government policies and economic incentives in promoting soil health. It criticizes the current crop insurance subsidies for potentially encouraging harmful agricultural practices and suggests a shift towards soil subsidies or soil insurance that rewards farmers for improving soil health. The script proposes that such policies could incentivize sustainable practices like planting prairie plants to prevent erosion, even if it means a temporary reduction in crop production. The benefits of these changes are framed as a win-win-win situation for the environment, farmers' profits, and society, highlighting the need for policy reform to support sustainable agricultural practices.

Keywords

💡Soil Erosion

Soil erosion refers to the process of removal and displacement of soil particles by natural forces such as wind and water. It is a critical issue highlighted in the video as it threatens food security and clean water supply. The script mentions that soil erosion is the number one threat to soil health, occurring everywhere and contributing to the loss of topsoil in some regions. The United Nations' prediction of catastrophic soil loss within 60 years emphasizes the urgency of addressing this issue.

💡Topsoil

Topsoil is the uppermost layer of soil, rich in organic matter and nutrients essential for plant growth. It is described in the video as 'priceless' due to its importance in agriculture and ecosystem health. The loss of topsoil is alarming because it directly impacts the ability to grow crops and support biodiversity. The script points out that some places have already lost all of their topsoil, indicating the severity of soil degradation.

💡Soil Degradation

Soil degradation encompasses the decline in soil quality due to various factors, including erosion, contamination, and unsustainable agricultural practices. The video script discusses the impact of soil degradation on the potential $23 trillion losses in food, ecosystem services, and income by 2050. It is a central theme of the video, illustrating the far-reaching consequences of neglecting soil health.

💡Organic Agriculture

Organic agriculture is a farming method that avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, genetically modified organisms, and other industrial agricultural practices. The Rodale Institute, featured in the video, is dedicated to regenerative, organic agriculture, which is shown to produce higher yields during droughts, earn farmers greater profits, and release fewer carbon emissions. The video emphasizes the benefits of organic agriculture for soil health and the environment.

💡Biodiversity

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in all its forms and interactions within a given ecosystem. The video script points out that soil is the habitat for over a quarter of the planet's biodiversity, playing a crucial role in climate change mitigation. The loss of biodiversity in soil can affect ecosystem services and the natural processes that contribute to a healthy environment.

💡Carbon Sequestration

Carbon sequestration is the process by which carbon dioxide is captured from the atmosphere and stored in plants, soil, and other natural carbon sinks. The video explains that soil contains more carbon than the Earth's atmosphere and all living plants and animals combined. It highlights the importance of soil in the global carbon cycle and its potential role in combating climate change.

💡Regenerative Farming

Regenerative farming is an agricultural practice aimed at rebuilding soil health and reversing the effects of soil degradation. The video script discusses various practices of regenerative farming, such as no-till farming, rotational cattle grazing, and growing cover crops. These methods are shown to reduce erosion, increase soil organic matter, and promote a healthier farming system.

💡No-Till Farming

No-till farming is a method of agriculture where the soil is not disturbed by tillage, such as plowing. The video script explains that no-till farming can dramatically reduce erosion and maintain soil structure, which is essential for water flow and oxygen circulation. It is presented as a sustainable practice that can be more profitable for farmers and beneficial for the environment.

💡Cover Crops

Cover crops are plants grown primarily for the benefit of the soil rather than for crop yield. They are used to protect the soil, add organic matter, and prevent erosion. The video script mentions that cover crops can be part of regenerative farming practices, providing a second line of income for farmers and contributing to soil health.

💡Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem services refer to the benefits that humans obtain from ecosystems, such as pollination, water purification, and carbon sequestration. The video script discusses the role of soil in providing ecosystem services, emphasizing its function as the world's largest water filter and its importance in the natural processes that support life on Earth.

💡Soil Insurance

Soil insurance is a concept proposed in the video script as a policy mechanism to encourage sustainable farming practices. It suggests that crop insurance could be based on the health of the soil rather than the amount of crop produced, incentivizing farmers to adopt practices that improve soil health and reduce erosion.

Highlights

Soil is crucial for life, yet it's facing a silent crisis with catastrophic loss predicted within 60 years.

Soil erosion is the top threat, occurring globally and threatening food supply and clean water.

The impact of soil degradation could result in $23 trillion in losses by 2050.

Soil supports over a quarter of the planet's biodiversity and plays a key role in climate change mitigation.

The Rodale Institute promotes regenerative, organic agriculture to improve soil health.

Organic farming has been shown to produce higher yields during droughts and release fewer carbon emissions.

Healthy soil encompasses chemical, physical, and biological aspects, essential for food production.

Soil acts as the world's largest water filter, purifying water as it percolates through to groundwater.

Soil degradation is caused by unsustainable agricultural practices, overgrazing, deforestation, and improper land use.

Soil erosion rates are 20 to 30 times faster than soil formation in the United States.

Aggressive tillage can have negative impacts on soil, making it vulnerable to erosion.

Regenerative farming includes no-till farming, rotational cattle grazing, and diverse crop cultivation.

No-till agriculture and cover crops can dramatically reduce soil erosion.

Organic matter and integrating animals into farming practices can improve soil health and profitability.

Economic studies show that sustainable farming practices can be more profitable for farmers.

USDA reports 21% of US cropland uses no-till farming, supported by companies like General Mills and PepsiCo.

Policy changes, such as rethinking subsidies, are needed to encourage sustainable farming practices.

Crop insurance could reward farmers for adding carbon to their soil, promoting health and reducing erosion.

Soil subsidies or soil insurance could incentivize farmers to adopt sustainable practices beneficial for the environment and long-term productivity.

Transcripts

People think, "Oh, soil is dirt and dirt is everywhere." But our lives depend on

soil.

There are places that have already lost all of their topsoil.

What's happening to the soil, and what's happening today, is very scary.

The United Nations declared soil finite and predicted catastrophic loss within 60 years.

We have identified ten soil threats.

Soil erosion is number one because it's taking place everywhere.

When we lose soil, we threaten our food supply, clean drinking water and a lot

more.

Out of the Dust bowl.

The past 100 years, the emphasis was on what can soil do for plants and what can soil do for people.

Tons of priceless topsoil.

And we're now realizing we have to take care of it and reverse that and ask, well, we have soil to manage.

We can't just, just degrade it and leave it.

Millions of acres laid waste by thoughtlessness and neglect.

The impact of soil degradation could total $23 trillion in losses of

food, ecosystem services and income worldwide by 2050.

Soil is the habitat for over a quarter of the planet's biodiversity, so it plays a

very important role in mitigating climate change.

Climate change cannot be separated from food insecurity, from the loss of biodiversity and from

pollution.

Here's why we're facing a silent soil crisis and what that means for the world.

This is the Rodale Institute.

The farm here works on regenerative, organic agriculture.

We grow almost everything that you can grow in Pennsylvania from corn and soybean, wheat,

oats to forages, alfalfa.

This is kale. Oh, kale?

This is actually the birthplace of modern organic agriculture.

Projects we do here all are centered around improving and rebuilding soil health.

We have farming system trial that's been running for 42 years.

It is the longest running side by side comparison of organic and conventional grain cropping systems

in North America.

This is all organic.

The decades long research has found organic agriculture produces yields up to 40% higher during droughts,

can earn farmers greater profits and releases 40% fewer carbon emissions.

How is all of that possible?

The Rodale Institute says it starts with soil.

So when we talk about healthy soil, we are talking about all aspects of the soil, chemical, physical and

biological that should be in a perfect status to be able to produce healthy food for us.

After all, the world relies on soil for 95% of our food production.

Traditionally, soil has been always linked to agriculture, but that's not all.

If the water is not purified by soil, we wouldn't have clean water to use every day.

Soil is the world's largest water filter.

As the water percolates through the soil down to the groundwater, it gets cleaned for us, and

it may start out with bacteria and toxins and all sorts of filthy stuff.

By the time it gets down to the groundwater, it can be pristine and pure.

Soils are also important for ecosystem services.

What's that?

Invisible processes that are taking place in nature.

For instance, carbon sequestration.

We don't see it.

But through all the process that is taking place via the photosynthesis of plants,

the carbon dioxide that is in the atmosphere is used by plants to convert it

into energy and that goes through the soils.

Soil contains more than three times the amount of carbon in Earth's atmosphere and four times as

much in all living plants and animals combined.

Look at this NASA map that charted CO2 in the atmosphere over the course of a year.

You'll see it goes red with tons of carbon right when farms across the world are tilling the land.

Then by mid-June, as plants are ready to harvest, it's all green, meaning those plants are absorbing

some of that carbon back, depositing it into the soil again.

Again, with the discovery of a single microorganism in a pinch of soil.

Soil also provides the basis for antibiotics.

Solely through their efforts, the earth has now been made to give back life.

And so today, about three quarters of our antibiotics that are used in clinical settings actually derived

from soil bacteria.

Medicines derived from soil bacteria changed health care.

Removing the top ten causes of death like typhoid fever, tuberculosis and typhus.

Drug resistant bacteria and a lack of new antibiotics could kill millions every year.

Doctors say the world needs new antibiotics to be discovered in order to tamp down on these resistant infectious

diseases.

We know only 1% of what is living in soils.

We need to discover them because otherwise we will have only the consequences.

The major cause for this soil degradation that happens are unsustainable agricultural

practices, overgrazing, deforestation and improper land use, and

changing climate is also worsening that.

By 2050, soil erosion may reduce up to 10% of crop yields.

That's like removing millions of acres of farmland.

Erosion is a natural process, but it can be exacerbated by people.

And now it's much faster than soil formation rate.

In some countries, like the United States, soil erosion is 20 to 30 times faster than soil

formation rate. In some countries, its over 100 times faster.

Take the plow as an example of human impact.

So basically farmers look at tilling as a method to prepare a seed bed because they want it to have a clean field

free of any residue and also soft and firm that allows the seed to germinate and have a perfect

crop. So, we didn't realize that this aggressive tillage every day, every year, year

after year, can also have negative impact on the soil.

And the plow takes soil and overturns it and mashes soil entirely.

It breaks down clods into smaller particles.

Those particles make soil vulnerable to wind and water.

Soil erosion has been accelerated tremendously in the last couple of hundred years as farming

has become more and more intensive.

And most of that is due to plowing.

The good news is we know enough to get to work.

And some of the ways that we're going back to historical knowledge, older knowledge, that's in systems in Australian

Aboriginal culture, in West African culture, in Native American culture.

But I think that knowledge is coming back into play.

Regenerative farming involves a variety of practices.

This includes no till farming, rotational cattle grazing, less synthetic fertilizers and growing both

cover and diverse crops.

Farmers could go to no till agriculture, which means not plowing, plant cover crops, which provide the

cover for the land when the main crop is not there, and also use more mixed cropping where they're

using some of these deep rooted perennials on a small portion of their land.

They could reduce erosion dramatically, if not completely.

We need to try not to destroy the soil structure because below the soil is

organized in a way which there should be a space for the water to flow, for the

oxygen to circulate.

But if you just compact it, your soil is not alive anymore.

You need to ensure that there is always food for your microbes to eat there,

meaning that you need to get organic matter.

Integrating animals is one way to do this.

Think of good old fashioned manure.

Cover crops add organic matter or carbon to the soil.

So that's an example where we really don't have to sacrifice yield at all.

And the practice is relatively inexpensive.

Sometimes farmers can even harvest the crop that's used as the cover crop, and then they have a second line of

income.

Economic studies show it can be more profitable to do this kind of farming.

We worked with over 100 farmers in corn and soy systems across the Midwest and saw that

growing corn about $24 an acre.

And for soybeans, that was $17 an acre reduction in costs.

But they also saw that net farm income when you accounted for the revenue that they got as well, up to $52 per acre

for corn and 45 for soybeans.

According to the USDA, about 21% of cultivated cropland in the US right now is

continuously using no till farming.

Companies like General Mills and PepsiCo are betting big on it.

And companies that manufacture plows like John Deere are making equipment for no till farming.

You need investment because many farmers know what to do.

But they don't have the means, they don't have the tools, they don't have the resources to invest because agriculture,

unfortunately, does not make you rich.

I think right now the current policies are not really encouraging farmers, but it can change.

One of the first steps may be to rethink subsidies.

We really need to find the ways to make it possible for farmers to make the move toward these sustainable

practices. And that can be done through crop insurance, which could reward farmers for adding

carbon to their soil, which will enrich the soil and make it healthier and less likely to erode.

For example, the US government spends billions in crop insurance subsidies.

Subsidies will cost the nation nearly $1 billion in 1940.

It pays farmers when their crop yields or revenues decline from 1995 to 2020,

the program paid over $247 billion to farmers for causes of loss

like drought, extreme weather and declines in prices.

According to the World Resource Institute, some of these programs may encourage farmers to use an excessive amount of

pesticides and fertilizers in the quest for immediate yield improvements, growing more food,

without accounting for how these chemicals can damage the soil and hurt long term productivity.

There's been discussion of a soil subsidy or soil insurance .

For example, crop insurance, instead of being based on how much corn one produced

last year, could be based on the health of the soil.

And so farmers are reluctant to take, say, 10% of their corn out of production

and replace that 10% with prairie plants, even though just that small amount will prevent

most of the erosion that occurs on the land.

They can't do that because they'll get 10% less crop insurance.

That's kind of a perverse system.

In the short term, it costs money to make the change, so we need to compensate farmers for the cost of

making those changes to sustainable practices.

It's a pretty rare win, win, win.

It's good for the environment, it's good for the farmers bottom line, and it's good for society as a whole.