Magic Of Soil
“The Only Magic Material that Turns Death into Life.”
– Sadhguru
The Save Soil movement is about bringing humanity together to keep the magic of soil alive.
Watch The Save Soil Documentary
But...
What exactly is soil and what does it do?
Let us explore through a quiz below.
Question 1 / 6
Soil is ______
Soil is the basis of our lives. But...
Agriculture, deforestation, and other factors have degraded and eroded topsoil at alarming rates. Globally, 52% of agricultural land is already degraded. The planet is in crisis. If current rates of soil degradation continue, this would be the end of life as we know it.
Very Degraded
Degraded
Stable
No Vegetation
The Planet is in Crisis
Food Crisis
In 20 years, 40% less food is expected to be produced for 9.3 billion people.
Poor soil leads to poor nutritional value. Today's fruits and vegetables already contain 90% fewer nutrients.
2 billion people suffer from nutritional deficiencies leading to multitude of diseases.
Water Scarcity
Depleted soils cannot absorb and regulate water flows.
Lack of water retention leads to water scarcity, droughts & floods.
Organic matter can hold up to 90% of its weight in water and release it slowly over time. This is a big help in drought-prone areas.
Loss Of Bio-Diversity
Scientists say that around 27000 species of life forms are becoming extinct every year due to loss of habitat.
The crisis has reached a point where 80% of the insect biomass has gone.
Loss of biodiversity further disrupts the soil habitat and prevents soil regeneration.
Climate Change
Carbon stored in soil is 3x that in living plants, and 2x that in the atmosphere, which means soil is crucial for carbon sequestration.
If the world's soils are not revitalized, they could release 850 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere contributing to climate change. This is more than all of humanity's emissions in the last 30 years combined.
Loss Of Livelihood
Thousands of farmers are committing suicide due to depletion in soil.
74% of the poor are directly affected by land degradation globally.
It is estimated that soil extinction is costing the world up to US$ 10.6 trillion every year.
Conflict And Migration
Population growth, and food and water scarcity could cause over 1 billion to migrate to other regions and countries by 2050.
Land issues have played a significant role in over 90% of major wars and conflicts in Africa since 1990.
From the French Revolution to the Arab Spring, high food prices have been cited as a factor behind mass protest movements.
Soil: A holistic solution
Almost every major ecological crisis is, to some degree or form, a consequence or symptom of the degradation of soil. Similarly, almost every environmental or environment-related pain point can be addressed by creating healthy soil.
It is, in fact, a fallacy to think we can address any one aspect of our environment without addressing the whole, because no aspect of the ecosystem functions in isolation. No solution is complete until we become conscious that life is one single complex phenomenon, all of which is happening in unison. In many ways, Soil is the underlying platform upon which life springs forth. If we fix soil, we have the best chance of fixing the whole.
What Are Experts Saying?
What science says?
S.O.S - Save Our Soil?
Soil Management
Indian Space Research Organisation
Biodiversity
Globally around 24 billion tons of fertile soil and 27,000 bio-species are lost each year
UN Report: The World's farms stretched to 'a breaking point'
Climate Change
The world's climate-stressed and pollution-degraded farming and agricultural system must shift quickly to sustianable practices to feed...
Oh Soil
The fragrance of the soil
Somehow is more tenderness to me
than the fancy fragrance of the flower
The strength and sensitivity of life
held in the soil
lets off waves of passion of a
different sort.
Passion not of a person
but of my species
that has gone insensitive
to all that nurtures it
and absorbs it at its end.
As I walk barefoot, I break down
with Passions so profound
that it defies all descriptions.
Oh' Soil, My life
Poem by Sadhguru
LET US MAKE IT HAPPEN!