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Why World Soil Day Matters
“Soil: Where food begins,” is the theme of World Soil Day 2022, a U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization campaign held every December 5 since 2014. On December 1, we kicked off a week of soil stories, featured here and beginning with a 1966 Modern Nutrition #TBT article from our Research Archives, “Plant, Animal and Human Health Vary with Soil Fertility,” by William A. Albrecht, PhD.
Dr. Albrecht was the foremost 20th-century authority on the relation of soil fertility to human health. After his death in 1974, his research papers (more than 200 of which are in our Research Archives) became the catalyst for the founding of the magazine, ACRES USA.
As I write this, I’m attending the ACRES USA Eco-Ag 2022 conference in Covington, KY, along with farmers, agronomists, researchers, and farm-product manufacturers. By participating, we hope to encourage this community to embrace the wisdom of ancestral agricultural practices to improve the quality and nutrient density of the food they grow and the animals they raise.
We’re not alone in embracing Dr. Albrecht’s philosophy and research findings. Planet health and human health are inextricably connected, and even small actions can serve our nutritional needs while improving the soil at the same time. The articles below capture a few examples of the amazing work that is making a difference in the quality of our soil and in our food:
WORLD SOIL DAY HIGHLIGHTS
Plant Animal and Human Health Vary With Soil Fertility, by William A. Albrecht, MS, PhD
In this 1966 article, William A. Albrecht, MS, PhD, discusses the importance of soil fertility to support plant and animal health. Specifically, plants depend on the presence of many natural elements in soil in order to produce proteins, key building blocks for health and immunity, which then nourish similar functions in animals, including humans. Read more in our Pioneer Archives.
Less Intervention Allows Grazing Land to Thrive
Researchers measured soil health and biodiversity among British grazing lands and found that those with fewer human interventions – including plowing and reseeding and the applications of fertilizer and slurry – performed better. While it may seem obvious, it’s encouraging to see data confirming that natural interactions among plants and animals can often support sustainability more effectively and efficiently than technological approaches. Read more at Science Daily.
Top Reasons to Grow Your Own Mushrooms
Home growers are finding mushroom cultivation surprisingly easy, as well as a great way to access many mushroom varieties not found in the supermarket. For those with gardens, growing fungi adds nutrients and biodiversity to the soil, but mushrooms also flourish (and often grow faster) on inexpensive substrates that can be used indoors, such as sawdust and coffee grounds. Read more at the Guardian.
Regenerative Agriculture Targets 2023 Farm Bill
In 2018, the USDA allocated $867 billion in its five-year Farm Bill. Of that total, only 1% went toward regenerative agriculture initiatives. With the next bill coming up in 2023, Kiss the Ground, a California non-profit which produced a Netflix film of the same name, is leading a campaign called Regenerate America to lobby for increasing this to 3-5% in an effort to restore soil, mitigate climate change, and improve human and planet health. Read more at Fortune.
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To your best health,
Steven J. Schindler,
Executive Director