{"id":3891,"date":"2020-11-30T11:00:54","date_gmt":"2020-11-30T10:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resoilfoundation.org\/news-en\/nemici-suolo\/"},"modified":"2021-06-11T12:20:43","modified_gmt":"2021-06-11T10:20:43","slug":"soil-sos-here-are-the-enemies-that-are-robbing-it-of-its-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/resoilfoundation.org\/en\/investigation\/soil-sos-here-are-the-enemies-that-are-robbing-it-of-its-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Soil SOS: here are the enemies that are robbing it of its health"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a battle that is being fought under the radar, but our health, the health of ecosystems, agricultural systems and the economy depend on it. We have identified 5 issues that need to be addressed, at all levels, to restore soil health<\/h2>\n

by Emanuele Isonio and Matteo Cavallito<\/p>\n

“Let’s get 75% of Europe’s soils back to good health by 2030”. This aim is so important to the European Union that the Von der Leyen Commission<\/strong> has included it among the five missions of the Horizon Europe programm<\/a>e. Experts all over the world are well aware of why the EU executive is so concerned<\/strong>. Perhaps less so is public opinion.<\/p>\n

A few figures may give some idea of the situation: 33% of the world’s soils are degraded. The percentage in Europe rises to 60%, and here, in just 10 years, 177,000 square kilometres of land have suffered from progressive desertification<\/strong> (an area more than half the size of Italy). On the level of the planet, cultivated soils have lost between 25 and 75% of their carbon content<\/strong>. This is released into the atmosphere in the form of CO 2, contributing to the rise in global temperatures.<\/p>\n

An unforgiving and certainly worrying picture, because unhealthy soils mean damage to crop yields<\/strong> amounting to 400 billion dollars a year, the progressive loss of biodiversity<\/strong>, and greater exposure to flooding<\/strong> and erosion<\/strong>. It is no coincidence that the FAO<\/strong> also took action and created World Soil Day in 2014<\/a>, which will be celebrated again on December 5th this year.
\nBut what are soil\u2019s “enemies”<\/strong>? The list is very long. We have selected five that give a good idea of the danger the world is in. Humanity is responsible<\/strong> for almost all of them.<\/p>\n

1. Deforestation, 10 million hectares lost every year<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Anyone who thinks that the deforestation problem can be put on the back burner while the world deals with the Covid-19 pandemic<\/strong> is wrong. There is a direct link<\/strong> between progressive reduction<\/strong> of the world’s natural habitats and forests<\/strong> and the increase in viruses that jump species, transmitting from wild animals to humans. Our health depends on the health of the ecosystem. The health of forests is a crucial factor here.<\/p>\n

The situation is certainly not positive: since 1990<\/strong>, according to the latest FAO report on the State of the Forests<\/a>, 420 million hectares have been lost due to land being converted to other uses (agriculture, not only for food but also for energy, or to make room for intensive livestock farming).
\nThe only bit of good news is that the rate of deforestation has fallen over the last 30 years. Even now, however, around 10 million hectares are <\/strong>still lost<\/strong> every year due to human activity (an area larger than Austria<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

\"Variazione

Net change in forest area over the last three decades. SOURCE: FAO State of the World’s Forests Report, 2020.<\/p><\/div>\n

Deforestation has a direct impact on soil fertility<\/strong> (and thus on agricultural yields) and its ability to sequester carbon<\/strong>. It thus becomes a crucial driver<\/strong> of global warming and climate change<\/strong>. The fact that 68% of land mammals<\/strong> and 75% of birds live in forests shows that the risk of viruses spreading increases as trees are felled. Sustainable forest management and strict protection of primary forests are therefore the only way to hope to reverse the trend.<\/p>\n

2. Plastics on fields, only 28% are recycled
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The use of plastics has always been in the spotlight because of the implicit risks it poses in terms of environmental impact. Much attention has been paid in recent years to the problem of plastic waste entering rivers, seas and oceans. But the issue also arises in the agricultural sector. Research published in the scientific journal Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia noted as early as 2016 that “While generating a significant increase in productivity, the increasing use of plastics in agriculture is also generating increasingly adverse effects on the agricultural-ecosystem environment”. According to the Agriculture Plastics Environment trade association, in 2014 the Old Continent produced more than 1.3 million metric tons of agricultural plastic waste. Of this, only 28% was recycled.<\/p>\n

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The global Biodegradable Mulch Films market is forecast to reach USD 91.96 Million by 2027, according to a new report by Reports and Data.<\/p>\n

Read more- https:\/\/t.co\/o9FGNyVsEQ<\/a>#biodegradable<\/a>-mulch-films-market #biodegradable<\/a>-mulch-films pic.twitter.com\/nrm7swveRQ<\/a><\/p>\n

— Reports and Data (@reportsanddata) July 27, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n