Healthy soils are therefore precious allies in ensuring nutritional stability, protecting biodiversity and addressing the challenges linked to climate change.
On the occasion of the World Day dedicated to increasing awareness of the crucial role of soil for our life and for the future of the planet, FederBio underlines the fundamental value of sustainable management of our soils.
Healthy soil, rich in organic matter and biodiversity, is a key element in preventing erosion and increasing the capacity to adapt to climate impacts, promoting a more sustainable ecosystem thanks to the greater presence of beneficial animals and microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, insects and earthworms.
A management based on agroecology, such as organic and biodynamic methods, makes the soil capable of absorbing large quantities of carbon, helping to reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and increasing resistance to extreme climate events.
Furthermore, thanks to its ability to retain and gradually release water, soil is also an effective ally in the management of water resources, mitigating both floods caused by intense rainfall and the effects of drought.
The first results of a seven-year field trial by FiBL and Agroscope, part of the “Recycle4Bio” project, summarized in the video presented in June 2024 “Organic fertilizers compared: effect on climate, yield and soil biology”, highlight how organic management can significantly improve soil fertility and its capacity to retain water, strengthening its resilience and improving adaptation to climate change. In fact, soil is considered the second climate regulator in the world, after the oceans.
This importance of soil protection contrasts starkly with an increasingly worrying consumption of the same which remains too high, continuing to advance, according to the ISPRA data just presented, at a rate of approximately 20 hectares per day.
In 2023, more than 21,500 km2 were concreted, of which 88% on usable soil. The cancellation of now irreversible soil is increasing with new permanent waterproofing equal to 26 km2 more than the previous year.
This also translates into an economic cost: the reduction of the “sponge effect”, i.e. the soil’s ability to absorb and retain water and regulate the hydrological cycle, according to estimates, costs the country over 400 million euros per year.
"Soil is a precious natural resource, where 90% of the planet's biodiversity is concentrated. Preserving its fertility is essential to guarantee the balance of ecosystems and the future of our planet - underlines Maria Grazia Mammuccini, President of FederBio - Intensive agriculture has caused a strong degradation of our soils, which are currently increasingly close to a state of desertification. Organic agronomic practices, which do not use synthetic chemicals, favoring the constant reintegration of organic matter in the soil, represent one of the most effective responses to protect fertility, natural habitats and combat environmental degradation. Safeguarding soils is a commitment that concerns all of us, it means guaranteeing food security and the well-being of future generations. Food choices play a crucial role in this process: choosing good organic food represents a gesture of responsibility and an investment for a more sustainable future".
