A report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations The report warns against a situation where there is no awareness of the extent of the danger and threat of soil pollution, since the danger is not only damage to the quality of the soil but also to the infiltration of food toxins into the water and air, damage to nutritional security due to a decrease in crops and also due to the level of The toxins that make the crop dangerous for consumers, people and animals alike
Much has been said and written about the infection in microplastic which reaches everywhere, pollutes the land and water, passes through the entire food chain and reaches "super-carnivores" like us. Microplastic penetrates all living systems and causes direct and immediate poisoning as well as cumulative effects. However, the awareness of the microplastic pollution is new, not so the vast array of contaminations that have been known for a long time, especially in the soil.
Soils support food production, filter water, improve the resistance of food crops to drought, help with recession and adaptation to climate change, and more. Land is a depleting resource, which means that it is not possible to improve or repair loss and damage to the quality of the land in a reasonable period of time. It is estimated that it takes about a thousand years to create a soil layer one centimeter thick, which means that tens of future generations of humanity will be affected. This means that if the damage to the soils is not stopped there will be no land to grow food for future generations.
The quality of the soil has a direct effect on the food and also on the quality of the water and air.
Without healthy soil we cannot grow food. 95% of the food we eat is produced on land (directly or indirectly). It is therefore clear that healthy soil is key to food security and a sustainable future.
But a hidden threat puts the soils in danger: soil contamination with microplastics which causes damage to biodiversity and reduces the organic matter, harms the filtering capacity of the soil and thus contaminates the water in the soil. Since today everything is measured by economic cost, it is worth knowing that soil pollution has a huge economic cost due to a decrease in crops and their quality.
When the projections are for a world population of 9 billion people in 2050, the future of food security depends on the ability to increase the production and quality of food while using the existing lands. This forecast is difficult to implement considering the fact that about a third of the land in use is contaminated at various levels. In addition to direct contamination with pollutants produced by people, the soil is damaged by salting, over compaction and weathering.
In preparation for a conference held at the beginning of May global symposium On the subject of soil pollution, the "Food and Agriculture Organization" published
(United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)) report
Soil Pollution: A Hidden Reality. The report warns against a situation where there is no awareness of the magnitude of the danger and threat of soil pollution, since the danger is not only damage to the quality of the soil but also to the infiltration of food toxins into the water and air, damage to nutritional security due to a decrease in crops and also due to the level of toxins that make the crop dangerous for consumers, people and animals alike .
The conference was attended by experts and policy makers who discussed ways to establish an international framework that would consolidate projects for pollution prevention and cleanup.
To emphasize the immediate need for activity, the organization publishes some data:
In 2015, 319 million tons of chemicals will be produced in the European Union, about half of which are considered harmful to the environment. The global production of solid waste in 2012 was about 1.3 billion tons. The forecast is that by 2025 the amount will double. The report also shows that developing countries use more and more insecticides. The Chinese Ministry of Environment estimates that 16% of China's land is polluted. In the territory of Europe there are about 3 million contaminated sites. A significant part of them are in the Balkan region. There are more than 1,300 contaminated sites in the US. With us: contaminated soils as proposed by factories operating in Sharon and around Haifa and Acre, groundwater contaminated with nitrates due to over-fertilization in agricultural fields or salting due to over-pumping. These alarming data require immediate action by everyone, and require resources to be directed to land healing and conservation.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about a third of the world's soils are damaged due to weathering - that is, the loss of the top layer of the soil by wind and rain or the incorrect use of agricultural mechanization. The organization goes on to state that agriculture, forestry and other land uses produce or emit about 20% of all greenhouse gases, which puts them in second place after energy producers.
Agricultural methods that are not sustainable damage the organic matter in the soil and facilitate the penetration and dispersion of pollutants in the food chain. For example: polluted soils release pollutants into the water that the plants consume, are transferred to animals during grazing and birds and finally reach our plate, pollutants that cause disease and death.
Among the more common pollutants: cosmetic and medical products, nitrates, heavy metals, organic pollutants (POP) and more. Soil pollution is a destructive factor for the environment and consequently for all living systems. Most pollutants are the result of human activity. That is, humanity is directly responsible for taking steps to stop and prevent soil pollution and for a clean future, which must be a priority in most of the world.
Soil pollution affects us all, therefore awareness of the causes and causes of pollution is necessary. Being alert to the causes will help find and implement solutions. Protecting soils from pollution starts with each of us, whether with the correct choice of food products or with recycling, preventing the disposal of medicines (especially antibiotics) and making compost. Using compost and seed rotation minimize damage to the soil.
On a wider scale there is a need to promote sustainable agriculture. Healthy soil is a precious non-renewable resource and we are responsible for maintaining the resource that provides us with food, and that contributes to clean air and water. Actions taken today will ensure healthy soil for sustainable agriculture and the production of food security. The amount of carbon in the soil is greater than that in the atmosphere and vegetation. Healthy soils that absorb more carbon produce more food, but when there is excess utilization the carbon in the soil is released into the atmosphere and adds to global warming. According to a study published in Nature, soil absorbs carbon from the atmosphere and according to experts, improving soil health will improve carbon absorption, which will also improve soil fertility. The same experts continue and explain that optimal management of the soil will improve the "storage" of carbon in the upper layer of the soil to a level of approximately 1.85 gigatons each year, which is the amount of carbon emitted by all global transportation systems.
The Food Organization's report warns that the studies conducted were mainly directed to developed economies. Since in developing countries there is a problem in obtaining information and data on the size of the polluted areas in different regions and the way in which they are polluted. And yet even the little available information points to cause for concern. The report also highlights positive aspects such as the expansion of research on the subject, and in some cases also international activity to eradicate the pollution. In discussions held with the participation of representatives from 170 countries, willingness was expressed to prevent pollution and clean up contaminated areas.
Ahead of the conference, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations published recommendations for governments (World Soil Charter)
How to implement regulations to prevent soil pollution and to limit the accumulation of toxins above an agreed and known level. "Governments are called to allow the cleaning and recovery of contaminated land. It is essential to limit pollution from agricultural sources by implementing sustainable land management on a global scale.' If and when these recommendations are implemented, there is a chance that future generations will have soil free from pollutants, land where food can be grown free of toxins for humans and the rest of the animal kingdom.
For the UN Food and Agriculture Agency's report Soil Pollution: A Hidden Reality
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