On the occasion of World Soil Day, the Fao published the first report on the state of knowledge about soil biodiversity, which is fundamental to life on the Planet.
Protecting biodiversity is one of the urgent actions the Planet is asking of us right now, but when it comes specifically to soil biodiversity, it is not receiving the attention it deserves. This is what the Fao says, on the occasion of World Soil Day on 5 December and the publication of the first report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, entitled "The State of Knowledge of Soil Biodiversity".
The soil is the Mother of all creatures. Do not forget the Mother who nourishes you.
Chinese proverb
According to the report, the soil factor should be fully taken into account when planning interventions for sustainable development. Soil is populated by organisms that play a decisive role in promoting food production and making it more nutritious, protecting human health, and countering pollution and climate change. At present, however, the role of these organisms is underestimated — indeed, a decline in soil health is being recorded.
"Soils are not only the foundation of agri-food systems and the place where 95 per cent of the food we consume is produced, but their health and biodiversity are also crucial to our goal of ending hunger and ensuring the existence of sustainable agri-food systems," declared the Director-General of Fao, Qu Dongyu, during the World Soil Day celebrations, calling for urgent actions capable of harnessing the potential of soils.
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, also stated: "We must recognise as soon as possible that soil biodiversity is indispensable for food security and for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Soil biodiversity underpins the productivity and resilience of agriculture and makes production systems and livelihoods more resilient to shocks and stressors."
The new Fao report defines "soil biodiversity" as both the variety of life forms that develop below the soil surface, from genes and species to the communities they form, and the ecological complexes to which such varieties contribute and belong, from soil microhabitats to entire landscapes. The benefits that soil biodiversity offers to agriculture and food security are numerous: soil microorganisms, for example, transform organic and inorganic compounds, releasing substances that plants can use as a source of nutrition; those same microorganisms also contribute to carbon sequestration, and therefore to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Soil diversity also helps to improve the control, prevention or elimination of pests and pathogenic organisms, and to protect human health: various soil bacteria and fungi are used in the fermentation of certain foods, and plants produce chemical substances that stimulate our immune system and contribute to hormonal regulation. This same soil biodiversity, however, is threatened by human activities such as excessive soil consumption, urbanisation, deforestation, intensive agriculture, the use of chemical products on crops, pollution, but also by climate change and natural disasters.
The report found that, in general, detailed data, policies and actions on soil biodiversity are lacking at local, national, regional and global level. First and foremost, in order to better understand the threats weighing on soil diversity and to implement relevant policies and regulations, the document argues that it is essential to create an efficient global soil information system aligned with the principles of digital agriculture and with innovations in environmental assessment and monitoring.