The average organic content of the soil in Spain is 1.3%, below the 3-6% recommended for it to thrive sustainably
The soil degradation is one of the most important factors that threaten crop production, which is reflected in the food safety. But it also represents a “alarming economic drain, which goes unnoticed”, since it costs each European citizen at least 112 euros a yearaccording to a study by Alisher Mirzabaev, former president of the Production Economics Group at the University of Bonn.
At least, because the research explains the degradation of the land, only through the use that is given to it and the change in the land cover between 2001 and 2009, so the current real costs for the citizens of the European Union and the Kingdom United Kingdom could be even higher. The negative impact on the economy is hidden but significant and affects both consumers and society in general.
“We have estimated that An investment of around €166.2 billion is required to restore degraded ecosystems in Western Europe. If not, heThe costs of land degradation will reach a staggering €845.8 billion over a 30-year period“explains Mirzabaev.
“However, by investing this amount we can save each European citizen approximately €3,429 in costs over the same period,” he says.
The Spanish example: the average organic content of the soil is 1.3%, which is below the minimum 3-6% recommended to ensure that it thrives sustainably.
The statistic underscores the urgency of addressing soil degradation and restoring healthy soils as a means to mitigate current economic and ecological crises in Spain and the rest of Europe.
Resilience to climate change
“The restoration of degraded ecosystems It is essential to have a stable climatereduce climate extremes and disease burdenproduce enough food to feed growing populations and, in general, keep the world habitable,” highlights the researcher.
Currently Ecosystems around the world are rapidly degrading, thus destroying the very basis of life. “There is a significant gap between the investments needed to restore degraded ecosystems and prevent further degradation and what is actually being invested,” warns the author of the study.
Furthermore, most governments are still learning how to design and implement ecosystem restoration policies that are effective and efficient. “Ecosystem restoration should be among our main scientific efforts,” adds Mirzabaev.
healthy soils play a fundamental role in the increasing agricultural productivity, producing high-quality food and improving resilience to climate change.
Healthy soil filters and stores water, absorbs carbon and protects farmers against crop failures caused by extreme weather events, the reason for supermarket shortages seen in Europe.
The researchers stress that it is also important to recognize that the cost of land degradation also extends beyond local communities and impacts the global ecosystem.
The losses in carbon sequestration, biodiversity, genetic information and cultural servicescontribute to the overall cost borne by the global community.
In light of these findings, Mirzabaev emphasizes the importance of there being Strong financial commitments to address climate change adaptation around the world.
“Economy and ecology must go hand in hand”
The COP 27 adaptation fund failed to meet the target of $100 billion per year to effectively strengthen adaptation measures. As a result, Mirzabaev calls for greater attention and priority to soil health and investments in adaptation as a crucial aspect.
The spiritual leader and founder of the Movement Save the SoilSadhguru, speaking at the recent EU Agricultural Research Conference, highlighted the fragility of the agricultural economy and that ultimately, it is the farmers who will carry out soil revitalization.
Sadhguru highlighted the importance of providing farmers adequate incentives to adopt sustainable practices. In that same sense, he called simplify the carbon credit marketand to recognize a market that evaluates the product according to the organic matter of the soil from which it comes.
“It’s not about economics versus ecology. Economy and ecology must go hand in hand. An ecologically sensitive economy has to be shaped,” Sadhguru stressed.
“A deeper understanding of the financial implications of poor land management across the supply chain and government sectors will provide greater insight for decision-making and promote investments in land regeneration,” Save Soil notes.
The group intends that these statements serve as wake up callurging the collective actionfor protect and restore the irreplaceable soil resource.
Save Soil is a social movement, dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of soil health and promoting sustainable management practices. Its mission is to protect and restore soil resources to ensure a viable future for agriculture, the environment and society as a whole.
Reference website: https://consciousplanet.org/es
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