Restoration of soil health will improve food security

75 billion tonnes of soil from global arable land has been lost. [iStockphoto] The productivity of our agricultural systems; societal food and nutrition security, improvement of livelihoods, and poverty alleviation all depend on the health of our soils. Yet, many of us are oblivious to the status of the medium in which our food grows. While droughts and floods are, in part, well-known aspects of the environmental crisis, few have noticed the elephant in the room: Soil degradation. As a result, 75 billion tonnes of soil from global arable land has been lost, equating to a $400 billion loss yearly in agricultural production. In Africa, $65 billion is lost annually due to land degradation, as stated in an International Food and Policy Research Institute report. Soils in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have been pushed to their limit and are unhealthy due to years of mono-cropping, increased industrialised agricultural production, misuse and overuse of inorganic fertilisers. This ultimately makes the SSA unable to provide adequate nutrition for the region, with about 236 million people undernourished, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. In Kenya, smallholder farmers are barely getting 25 per cent of the potential yields, and another 5.4 million Kenyans are experiencing acute food insecurity and some level of malnutrition as indicated in a 2023 IPC Acute Food Insecurity and Malnutrition report. Nutrient imbalance is a significant barrier to achieving food security because it directly affects food production, quality, and safety. Sufficient food production is one of the main dimensions of food security, which can be supported by improving soil fertility. While the need to increase food production for an increasing population is unquestionable, the fact is that it is more urgent than ever to reverse soil degradation and tackle its effects on agri-food systems. Thus, the focus should not only be on producing more food, but also on producing better food. And because this is so, we need to change how we view our soil systems to avert an imminent disaster where our food production systems, biodiversity, and soil functions no longer serve us. For this reason, smallholder farmers have begun actionable steps towards increasing soil fertility, with some actively involved in agroecological practices to improve the status of their soil health. This holistic approach aims to recycle nutrients, conserve biodiversity, and enhance soil health. Agricultural practices such as vermiculture (rearing of worms), agroforestry, conservation agriculture, and crop diversification, to mention a few - all of which boost food security, safety, and livelihood outcomes for smallholder farmers could be our gateway to restoring depleted soils for sufficient and nutrient-rich production. The impact of agrochemicals on our soils cannot be understated. Experts note a decline of earthworms and microorganisms- the very foundations that are the life of our earth- due to pesticide residues in our soils. Thus, chemical companies should increase the production of sustainable biopesticides (currently at two per cent of the total pesticide volume used in Kenya) to replace toxic agrochemicals and ensure their affordability, as governments prioritise the adoption of integrated pest management strategies as an opportunity to restore depleted soils. -Ms Jassor is African Food Fellow

Restoration of soil health will improve food security

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