Although soil may seem lifeless, it absolutely is not. It is considered to be the “skin of the earth”, with an extremely diverse living community of microbes and animals, which depend on organic matter, and everything on a field or in a garden depends on the health of this soil community. Have a look at the soil food web to get an idea about the life in and on the soil and at some of the videos listed below. 

Whether we realise it or not, soil affects each of us in our everyday lives. Besides being fundamental to the production of our food and other agricultural products, the soil performs a wide range of functions that go beyond farming. It regulates water, sustains plant and animal life, recycles organic wastes, recycles nutrients, stores carbon, filters out pollutants, and serves as a physical support for structures.

Farmers

Soil and water are fundamental elements in farming. How much land and water there is available, and the quality of the soil and water, are major factors that influence whether farms are productive or not. For farmers, understanding the functioning of the soils on their farms - and how to make the best use of the water available - forms the basis of their livelihoods.

Organic farmers

Soils are a non-renewable resource on which 95% of our food supply depends. Short-sighted chemical fertiliser applications in conventional farming are depleting soils of organic matter at an alarming rate. Instead of using potent chemicals that degrade soil, organic farmers continuously give back to the soil, maintaining soil health and fertility for future generations. 

Sustainable farming which builds organic matter in the soil can overcome all the threats to soil functioning - loss of nutrients and/or organic matter, desertification, climate change, soil sealing/ compaction, soil erosion, decline in biodiversity, contamination and pollution, and salinisation.

Industrial farmers

In many parts of the developed world, industrial agriculture is based on large-scale monoculture, which can lead to degraded soils that need the application of synthesised fertilisers to be productive. It is worth remembering that the mismanagement of soils has destroyed civilisations. After the “American dust bowl” soil disaster of the 1930s, Franklin D. Roosevelt said that “A nation that destroys its soils, destroys itself.”

Introduce Yourself

Before you read the next chapter, take a moment to introduce yourself on the course forum.