Global food production at increased risk from excess salt in soil, UN report warns

Scientists say climate crisis and poor agricultural practices to blame with serious implications for crop yields

The extent of the world’s land affected by excess salt is set to increase rapidly with potentially devastating impacts on food production, research has found.

About 1.4bn hectares (3.4bn acres), amounting to 10% of global land, is affected by salinity, with a further 1bn hectares classed as “at risk”, a report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization has found.

One by one, these areas are being destroyed: the problem is much bigger than we thought

Over the past three decades, the proportion of arid areas on Earth has increased significantly, with serious economic and environmental consequences. According to a new UN study, 40% of the world's land area is already classified as dry, and this proportion is expected to increase further in the future. 

Worrying fact: dry areas already make up almost half of the land

According to the latest research conducted by scientists under the auspices of the United Nations, dry areas, excluding Antarctica, already make up 40 percent of the land. In 2020, 2.3 billion people were already living in arid areas.

Drylands now make up 40% of land on Earth, excluding Antarctica, study says

An area of land nearly a third larger than India has turned from humid conditions to dryland – arid areas where agriculture is difficult – in the past three decades, research has found.

Mycelium transplantation as a rescue for forests. New discovery by scientists

A British scientific experiment has made a breakthrough discovery that could change the face of environmental protection. Moving mycelium-borne soil from mature forests to areas of new afforestation showed that fungi play an essential role in improving soil health and strengthening young ecosystems.

New policy brief presented at COP16 designed to divert world away from 90% global topsoil degradation

60 leading NGOs have joined forces to endorse a major policy brief to be presented at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP 16 in Riyadh (2nd -13th Dec).

Authored by Save Soil and 4per1000, the policy brief calls on the UNCCD to expand their areas of action to support farmers in restoring land and soil health across the globe, given the escalating soil degradation crisis—costing the planet 24 billion tons of fertile soil annually and impacting the livelihoods of 1.5 billion people.

Land degradation affects mental health and general well-being, warns movement

The health of our soils is intrinsically linked to our physical and mental health. Ignoring soil degradation is not just an environmental issue; is a direct threat to global public health," said lead author Praveena Sridhar, technical director of Save Soil, a global movement to defend soil.

Without climate finance, we won’t have farms left to save

Soil remains one of the largest carbon sinks, and stores more carbon than the world’s vegetation and atmosphere combined. 

Regenerative farming breathes life back into our soils. Removing chemical fertilizers and pesticides from our soil’s diet allows it to retain more water, absorb more carbon, and grow healthy food. 

Inside The Faith, Life And Mission Of Sadhguru

Recognized as one of India’s, and perhaps the world’s 50 most influential people, Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, environmental activist, poet, and the bestselling author of over thirty books. His wisdom transcends borders, offering guidance to those seeking clarity in an increasingly complex world.

Lack of focus on nature and farming solutions at climate summit, say campaigners

Focus on nature and agriculture-based solutions has been lacking at the UN climate summit this week, campaigners said.

Cop29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, has reached its final stages but activists say the role of nature, such as forests, soil and farming has not had enough air time during the two-week summit.

Nature plays a vital role in absorbing man-made greenhouse gas emissions while land-based and marine ecosystems can help to regulate the climate and mitigate against impacts of global warming.

The Soil Mechanic: A Farmer’s Tale to Save Soil and Lives

 In the heart of southern India lies an inspiring tale of determination, resilience, and an unyielding commitment to sustainable farming. This is the story of Anand Ethirajalu, who turned his childhood curiosity about food adulteration into a life mission to transform agriculture and protect human lives.

The Official COP29 Daily Show, Episode 08

Featuring indigenous leader Hindou Ibrahim, and Save Soil founder Sadhguru, as well as highlights from the conference floor and explainers on what is really happening at COP, it will be the place to find out what is going on throughout COP29.

At UN climate talks, farmers argue for a share of money dedicated to fighting climate change

Farmers’ efforts to adapt to a warming climate get harder the hotter it gets, Ismahane Elouafi, executive managing director of CGIAR, a global partnership for agricultural research, said in a statement. At a COP29 panel on climate-smart solutions for smallholder farmers, she added: “If we want to solve the issue, how could we not invest in a sector that is having a third of the problem?”

COP29: Smallholder Farmers Being Left Behind

The COP29 Presidency’s Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers, has launched, highlighting the critical role of family farmers in food system adaptation.

Over the past week, COP29 co-chairs have released (and re-released) draft text on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) for climate finance, aimed at providing funding for developing countries' climate plans post-2025— a successor to the previous $100 billion per year pledge from developed countries.

What those most affected by the climate crisis have to say to the COP brakemen

At the World Climate Conference in Baku, people from the Global South are fighting to finally be heard. Their life stories show how brutally the climate crisis is already hitting everyday life today.

Sadhguru's Message to America After Donald Trump's Election Victory

Indian spiritual leader and environmental campaigner Sadhguru has a message for Americans after Donald Trump's election victory, and it's about soil.

Sadhguru is at COP29, this year's United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Baku, Azerbaijan, to deliver a rallying cry to rejuvenate soil across the world, with 52 percent of it already degraded, according to his Save Soil organization.

Climate Change Threatens Our Existence, Says Indian Spiritual Leader Sadhguru

A sudden flurry of activity as Jagadish Vasudev, known widely as Sadhguru, emerges from an interview room in the COP29 media centre. It’s early days of the conference and there is energy and excitement at the venue in Baku.

With his long flowing beard and blue turban, it’s clear that many journalists are keen to interview the influential spiritual leader from India and the founder of the Isha Foundation, which has been dedicated to humanitarian projects since 1992. His initiative, Cauvery Calling, aims to support Indian farmers by encouraging the planting of 2.4 billion trees through agroforestry to restore the Cauvery River basin.

Now in Baku for COP29, Sadhguru shares his insights in an exclusive interview with IPS.

World’s most famous guru pleads for UK to commit to organic soil

Sadhguru, who’s real name is Jagadish Vasudev, is renowned as one of the world’s leading gurus, endeavoring to help people find their inner peace.

Speaking to i from COP29 in Azerbaijan, Sadhguru said: “Previously it was oil, oil, oil. Now the narrative is shifting.” He has called for an increased inclusion of soil in the narrative on climate change – something he believes has been missing from the conversation. He has been advocating for the issue as part of the Save Soil movement.

Call to stop fossil fuel use must come with alternatives: Sadhguru

Spiritual leader Sadhguru, who has long been pitching for saving the soil as a solution to deal with climate change, on the sidelines of UN climate talks (COP29) here on Monday said just asking countries to turn away from fossil fuels without providing alternatives won’t work and “excessive talks” on not using them may be counter-productive.

Famous Indian guru Sadhguru arrives in Azerbaijan

The founder of the Isha Charitable Foundation, the famous Indian yogi Sadhguru (Jaggi Vasudev) visited Azerbaijan to participate in the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Indian climate guru calls for action at Cop29 to help world's small farmers

An Indian climate guru will urge leaders at Cop29 to allocate billions in climate finance for small farmers, so they can learn vital techniques to protect the soil and regenerate farm land to help tackle the climate crisis.

Theo Von’s podcast ‘This Past Weekend’ releases an episode with Sadhguru

Theo Von is one of the top ranked podcast globally and recently discussed a wide range of topics including Inner Engineering, Isha Institute in Tennessee, Save Soil and the upcoming Miracle of Mind 👀

They call for an agricultural change because soil degradation releases CO2 into the atmosphere

Not only trees, vegetation in general and the ocean floor absorb the CO2 from the atmosphere. Soils also do, and especially if they are in a good state of conservation. On the contrary, degraded land releases carbon and worsens the situation of the atmosphere. For this reason, experts urge to stop soil degradation and improve the components that ensure its health.

To Save Our Soil, Invest in Smallholder Farmers

At this year’s UN COP29 summit in Baku, we need to ensure that the world’s smallholder farmers get the climate finance they need and deserve, to protect our farmlands and, by default, ensure global food security,” writes Praveena Sridhar.

The release of 1% of the carbon present in European soil would be equivalent to the annual emissions of 1 billion cars

Moving to regenerative agriculture will reduce carbon release from the soil and contribute significantly to achieving net zero emissions.

Europe’s soil emergency

In March, the European Environment Agency identified soil health as a “substantial” risk with a “critical” urgency in its first climate risk assessment. The agency predicted a high chance of worsening erosion and aridity in the coming 15 years, but also a medium chance of widespread soil breakdown causing “significant cascading impacts on food production, water supply and biodiversity” by 2100.

Gardening is the Celebrity Wellness Secret That Everyone Can—and Should—Try

The biggest celebrity wellness secret right now? Vegetable gardening.

David Beckham just updated his 88 million followers on his homegrown kale, spring onions, cabbages, and wild flowers: “I can hear my East End mates going, ‘he has changed,” he said on Instagram. Pamela Anderson has also become a woman of the earth, sharing the bounty from her own garden on social media.

The Wellness Secret A-Listers (And Royals) Love Is Accessible To All

David Beckham recently updated his 88 million followers on his homegrown kale, spring onions, cabbages and wild flowers (“I can hear my East End mates going, ‘he has changed’,” he said on Instagram – while Pamela Anderson has also become a woman of the earth, sharing the bounty from her own garden on social

UN Warns That Some Of The Poorest Places On Earth Can No Longer Sustain Crops

Droughts and flooding brought on by extreme weather are degrading the soil in some of the poorest areas of the world so much that they can no longer sustain crops, reaching a tipping point of “zero” harvests.

As a result, parts of Africa, the Middle East and Latin America are now dependent on humanitarian aid to survive.

Healthy soils are good for your gut, brain and wellbeing – here’s why

Often overlooked, soil is one of our planet’s largest living ecosystems and the foundation of our lives. It provides 95% of our food, supports global biodiversity and helps balance the climate by storing atmospheric carbon.

Soil is also a huge source of raw materials, from iron ore and bauxite (the rock used to make aluminium) to natural gas which is used to power our society.

New Report Reveals Crucial Links Between Soil Quality and Human Health, Calls For Global Action

A comprehensive new analysis by the Save Soil movement reveals the profound connections between soil health and human physical and mental wellbeing, underscoring the urgent need for global attention to soil degradation.

The new report highlights the direct and indirect pathways through which soil health influences various aspects of human life, including nutrition, mental health and overall quality of life.

What Does Soil Have to Do With Mental Health?

The connection between human health and soil health extends far beyond physical contact. The amount of nutrients found in our food is directly associated with the health of the soil it grows in.

Human physiological and psychological functions require macronutrients, namely carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, that provide the main source of energy for the human body.

95% of the planet's soils will be degraded by 2050, scientists warn

A new map from the Save Soil movement, backed by several UN agencies, shows that 95% of the world's soils could be degraded by 2050 if unsustainable agricultural practices continue. This degradation threatens to trigger a global food crisis and aggravate the impacts of climate change, according to the report released on the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

95 percent of the earth's surface could be degraded by 2050

Alarming state of the world's soil, livelihoods threatened

The maps, produced by Save Soil using data from the UNCCD (2019 map) and an estimate from the Global Environment Facility (GEF, 2050 map), show how much fertile land could be left in 2050 if the current rate of degradation continues. The resulting food crisis would be exacerbated by the fact that the world's population is expected to rise to 9.8 billion people by 2050, according to figures from the United Nations (UN).

Africa's Great Green Wall not expected to be completed until 2030

The project aims to restore degraded areas in the Sahel and Sahara desert, but lacks funding. This Monday marks the World Day to Combat Drought and Desertification.

UN food chief: Poorest areas have zero harvests left

Soil is the second largest carbon sink after the oceans, and is recognized by the UN as a key tool for mitigating climate change.

Map Shows How Much U.S. Land May Be Degraded by 2050

Save Soil used data from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification to make a map showing levels of degradation around the world in 2019. It then used an estimation from the Global Environment Facility for the 2050 map.

Race to save fertile land as soil degradation threatens global food supply

About 52% of the earth's agricultural land is already in an infertile state, according to the Save Soil movement, citing data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. If the current trend holds, 95% of the earth could be degraded by 2050. Martin Frick, director of the World Food Program's global office in Berlin, joins to discuss what's at stake.

The security of regenerative farming

We must prioritise regenerative agriculture to protect British food security. British farmers have decried one of the worst harvests on record. British soils have not been able to weather the storm; excess flooding has drastically impacted British agricultural output. This not only drives imports and therefore prices but exposes Britain to further international supply chain shocks. 

Sadhguru Issues Rallying Cry on Earth Day

As people around the world mark Earth Day, Sadhguru an Indian spiritual leader and environmental campaigner has warned that humans could go extinct if significant action is not taken to combat climate change in the coming years. Sadhguru told Newsweek that the world is facing a future where floods, cyclones and droughts are common, and such events will stifle agricultural productivity and threaten food security.