Fiji High Commission in New Delhi hosted the World Soil Day 2021 in collaboration with the Indian Council for Human Relations (ICHR) and the GTTCI. Thanking the General Secretary of ICHR, Mr. K L Malhotra, and the Founder/President of GTTCI, Mr. Gaurav Gupta, HE Kamlesh Prakash said soil was so fundamental to life that we often take it for granted.
High Commissioner noted that 95% of the food we eat comes from soil and we cannot imagine life without soil! He added that soil is one of the core components of a productive agriculture, and every farmer knows that good quality soil is essential for providing adequate and nutritious food and for providing food security to present and future generations. Good soil and food security is in turn linked to the achievement of many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and this is one way of appreciating the value and significance of soil in our lives.
He informed that according to FAO and other reports, it was worrying that 33% of the earth’s soils are already degraded and over 90% could become degraded by 2050. Reports inform us that we are losing one soccer field every 5 seconds to soil erosion and this is alarming. He informed that in the Pacific, including in Fiji we see many cases of loss of coastal farming lands due to rising sea level, salinisation, use of fertilizers, pesticides, weedicides, bad farming practices among others.
Likewise, coupled with other challenges like rising global population which is estimated to reach almost 10 billion by 2050, there will be additional pressures and mouths to feed and unsustainable management of soil can leave us food insecure, compromising the well-being of over 3 billion people around the world.
High Commissioner further enlightened the gathering that the biodiversity loss is a real worry as usage of fertilizers, pesticides, weedicides, tillage, bad farming practices, erosion, pollution, climate change, etc continued to creating soil degradation and loss of life below ground.
He added that soil organisms are responsible for many critical ecosystem processes on which humans rely – from decomposition to supporting plant growth to storing carbon. Soil organisms were also our friends and play a key role in climate change adaptation and mitigation by storing carbon in the soil. Viewed this way, scientists tell us that biodiversity and good soil management is also at the heart of our climate related challenges and hence the need to promote sustainable soil management through training and education at all levels, including working with government, business, farmers and civil society organizations.
He said this years theme “Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity” was so fitting and relevant to the times and needed greater involvement, promotion and action at all levels globally.