SOILS - WHO NEEDS THEM?

Soils are the most important solid Earth resource. They are complex mixtures of inorganic and organic matter interacting in dynamic systems. But they are being lost at accelerating rates both by dispersing the matter and by destroying the systems. They may be defined as material capable of supporting plant growth and are, therefore, the base of terrestrial food production. Along with air and water, food is a fundamental essential. As we lose either the “stuff” of soils or their “processes”, or both, we reduce our capacity to provide food and thereby undermine prospects for a successful future for the world’s societies.

Why do we allow this? The social and economic structures in advanced industrial societies isolate us from meaningful contact with soil, especially as the source of food production. Widespread alienation from natural systems that support human societies is not countered by education and experiential learning. The combination produces obliviousness. When coupled with priorities that focus on the economic realm as though it were independent of Earth material and systems limitations, no concern is registered about soil ecosystem destruction and erosion. The belief remains that we are losing nothing!

Must we remain helpless in the face of this obliviousness? No. We can change our educational practices to provide important personal experiential learning. Even more important, we can change world views to prioritize a broadened sense of community that, in the words of Aldo Leopold, includes “… soils, water, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land … and changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror … to plain member and citizen of it.”