The first global report on black soils from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) highlights that this type of surface is more threatened than ever by the climate crisis, the loss of biodiversity and changes in land use.
The black soils, present mainly in Russia with 327 million hectares, but also in countries of the region such as Argentina (40 million), Colombia (25 million) and Mexico (12 million), have great fertility, represent the food base of many countries and are essential to the world’s food supply.
In addition, they play a fundamental role in the reduction and adaptation to climate change, since they store 8.2% of the world reserves of soil organic carbon and can capture up to 10% of this substance.
Due to land use change (about 31% of the world’s black soils are cultivated), unsustainable management practices, and excessive use of agrochemicals, most black soils have already lost at least half of their soil organic carbon stocks and suffer moderate to severe erosion processesas well as nutrient imbalances, acidification and loss of biodiversity.
The report highlights two main objectives: the conservation of the natural vegetation of black soils, such as grasslands, forests and wetlands, and the adoption of sustainable management approaches for cultivated areas.
Most of the essential nutrients for plants are provided by soils.
The Organization recalls that 95% of the food we consume comes directly or indirectly from our soils, which have the extraordinary capacity to store, transform and recycle the nutrients that we all need to survive, allowing life to continue. Of the 18 essential nutrients for plants, 15 are provided by soils, if they are healthy.
However, about a third of all the world’s soils are already degraded, and their loss of fertility means less productive land and many grains, vegetables and fruits are not as rich in vitamins and nutrients as they were 70 years ago.
In the current food and fertilizer crisis, smallholder farmers, particularly in vulnerable countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia, lack access to organic and inorganic fertilizers and are currently facing a 300% increase in fertilizer prices.
These crises highlight the crucial role of sustainable management and restoration of the most precious resources to safeguard soil health and fertility.
“Today, the lower availability and the dizzying increase in the prices of fertilizers are driving the increase in food prices and food insecurity,” said the general director of the organization.
Qu Dongyu affirmed that it is necessary to work together “to produce safe, nutritious and micronutrient-rich food in a sustainable way that avoids soil degradation, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and reduces pollution of agri-food systems.”
UNAM awarded for World Soil Day
The report was published in commemoration of World Soil Day, which seeks to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems, addressing the growing challenges in soil management, raising awareness of soil types and encouraging societies to improve their health. .
The central theme of this year’s World Day, celebrated in a hybrid way at FAO headquarters in Rome, is the role of soils in food security and how loss of soil fertility translates into poor crop yields. harvests and crop failures, driving local populations into hunger, malnutrition and poverty.
The report was launched by the European Union’s agriculture commissioner, Janusz Wojciechowski, the Republic of Korea’s permanent representative to FAO, Lee Seong-ho, and his namesake from the Russian Federation, Victor Vasiliev.
During the event, the Glinka World Soil Prize 2022 was also awarded to Ashok Patra Kumar, renowned soil scientist -soil science is the science in charge of treating nature and soil conditions in relation to plants- from ICAR-Indian Institute of Science of Soil in the city of Bhopal, and the King Bhumibol Award of World Soil Day 2022 to the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
