From the rolling fields of Oxfordshire to soil-healing initiatives around the globe, The Land Gardeners have quietly become leaders in the growing global soil movement. Founded by Bridget Elworthy and Henrietta Courtauld, The Land Gardeners began with a shared passion for growing organic flowers and has evolved into a rich, multi-layered project that blends horticulture, soil science, education, writing, and advocacy.

Save Soil was delighted to speak to Matthew Ingram about his fascinating new book, “The Garden: Visionary Growers and Farmers of the Counterculture”. The book explores the transformative journey of the 1970s countercultural farmers and growers whose radical practices redefined how we grow and eat today. He has interviewed Save Soil founder Sadhguru for the book, which is available online via Amazon.

In this fascinating interview, we discover his motivation for writing the book, and insights he gleaned into connections between soil, spirit and society.

Restoring degraded land is more urgent than ever. It’s a powerful way to tackle the climate, desertification and poverty crises — challenges that are deeply connected. Tond Tenga, meaning, “our land” in Mooré, is a pioneering restoration project in rural Burkina Faso contributing to the Great Green Wall by regreening degraded lands, capturing CO2, and building community resilience through improved livelihoods and food security over the next 40 years.

In this article, Sadhguru outlines the fundamentals and urgency of saving soil

As ecosystem disruption and climate change worsen, if there was one thing on which we can concentrate our efforts, money, and time to address these issues all at once, what would it be? The answer is Life in soil. Microorganisms and their symbiotic relationship with living plant roots form the foundation of the soil ecosystem. To encourage a diverse, well-fed soil microbial community, soil needs to be covered all seasons of the year by a variety of green cover, providing living roots, organic matter, and protection from the elements.

This week, the Save Soil movement will release a powerful new report connecting today’s water crises—floods, droughts, and water scarcity—with something most of us overlook: the ground beneath our feet.

This is an inspiring story of Marimuthu, a farmer from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, who pioneered a farming model that has transformed his region. Born into a farming family, he says that his father shifted from agriculture to factory work due to the instability of farming. In his early twenties, he came into contact with Sadhguru and the Isha Foundation. He attended yoga classes and became a full-time volunteer with their outreach project—Isha Agro Movement. Marimuthu’s story is not just about successful farming—it’s about reclaiming the passion for nature, feeding his children with nutritious food, helping fellow farmers, healing the land, and leaving a healthy land for the next generation.

In Kenya, soil erosion leads to an alarming loss of up to 26 tons of soil per hectare annually. Additionally, soil salinization affects 40% of irrigated land, further jeopardizing food production and sustainability. Musau Mutisya, a determined young farmer from an arid and semi-arid area (ASAL), is leading a quiet revolution in his village through organic farming. Once reliant on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, Musau has transitioned into a successful organic tomato producer.

This research paper investigates the critical nexus between soil degradation and biodiversity loss, highlighting the soil's foundational role in supporting terrestrial life and ecosystem services. It establishes that widespread soil degradation, affecting approximately 33% of global soils, significantly diminishes soil health and its inherent biodiversity. The complex relationship between soil degradation and the decline of biodiversity on Earth presents a critical challenge to the health of our planet and the well-being of future generations. As detailed in this report, soil degradation, driven by unsustainable human activities and exacerbated by climate change, leads to a significant loss of biodiversity.

Water scarcity represents a critical environmental challenge of the 21st century, driven by climate change, population growth, and unsustainable use of the resources. While often focused on climatic factors and over-extraction, this paper highlights the frequently overlooked yet fundamental link between soil degradation and the escalating global water crisis.

If we want to divert from this catastrophic trajectory, we need to adjust our agricultural management practices from conventional chemical intensive agriculture towards more sustainable regenerative practices.