The quality and health of soils determine agricultural sustainability, environmental quality and, as a consequence, plant, animal and human health, according to Dr Hendrik Smith, conservation agriculture facilitator at Asset Research.
He told Farmer’s Weekly: “Soil is a living and magical world filled with tiny, astounding creatures. A mere handful of soil might contain half a million different species, including ants, earthworms, and fungi, feeding on organic matter in the ground. Soil cleans water, keeps contaminants out of streams and lakes, and prevents flooding.”
According to him, regenerative agriculture principles are at the root of soil conservation. Implementing regenerative agriculture principles in their operations is the biggest investment that farmers could make to ensure soil health.
“In its broader sense, soil health can be defined as the ability of soil to perform or function according to its potential, while changing over time due to human use and management of natural events,” Smith added.
He stated that South African soils were very vulnerable to extreme conditions, such as erosion, and presented with low resilience or recovery capacity. Tillage and unsuitable agricultural practices posed a major threat to soil health and the sustainability of agriculture and food production in the country. The sustainable management of soil was therefore of fundamental importance.
“Regenerative agriculture has a positive impact on biodiversity as well as soil and water health and the mitigation of climate change. It allows for high carbon sequestration rates and increases the efficiency of resource uses. Not only does it improve food quality and nutrient density, it also results in stable yields and increased profit margins,” Smith explained.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations meanwhile warned that land degradation affected almost two billion hectares of land worldwide, home to 1,5 billion people. Every year, 24 billion tons of fertile soil are lost due to erosion. Twelve million hectares of land are degraded each year at a rate of 23ha per minute.
