The EU’s Confederation of the Food Industry FDE, (FoodDrinkEurope) has published a new report on soil health. It stresses that soil health should be a key performance indicator for the EU’s successful transition to sustainable agriculture, manoukis.lt reports.
As much as 61% of the European Union’s soils are rated as unhealthy, which has a huge impact on the agricultural sector. Climate change is exacerbating the situation. In addition to politicians and farmers, consumers are also being encouraged to protect their soils by buying products with soil conservation labels.
€30 billion
According to FDE Deputy Director General Will Surman, the study shows that the transition to healthy soils and more sustainable agriculture would cost the EU around €30 billion. But this huge sum pales in comparison to the fact that soil degradation costs €50 billion across Europe, affecting food production, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration and water retention.
The FDE report highlights that soil directly or indirectly contributes to 95% of EU food production and is vital for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture, as it is one of the most efficient and important carbon sinks on the planet.
The analysis highlights that soils provide almost 90% of the global potential to reduce agricultural GHG emissions and contain 25% of the planet’s biodiversity.
Soil erosion
On the other hand, soil erosion alone is estimated to cause a loss of €1.25 billion in European agricultural productivity each year. Soils that are compacted are less able to absorb air pollutants, sequester carbon or absorb moisture, leading to more frequent flooding, more air pollution, etc.
Farmers interviewed for this analysis expressed growing concern about the impact of climate change on crop yields and the economic and social aspects of agribusiness.
“Fastest warming continent”
The World Meteorological Organisation called Europe “the fastest warming continent in the world”. In addition to increasing landslides and soil erosion, extreme heat, cold, flooding and other weather conditions have reduced crop yields and caused livestock deaths.
These challenges make it difficult for farmers to maintain their businesses and existing agricultural practices, let alone invest and experiment with new techniques. The risks are very high. This is particularly evident in the drier parts of Europe, where high temperatures turn the soil into dust, and stresses FDE.
Soil friendly labels
Focusing on soil health can make European agriculture a more sustainable, resilient, productive, cost-effective system fit for the future, according to the analysis. Consumers can also do their bit by choosing products with “soil friendly” labels, the authors suggest.
Source: Food Ingredients First