|
Fertile soil is being lost faster than it can be replenished,
making it much harder to grow crops around the world, according
to a study by the University of Sydney.
The study, reported in The Daily Telegraph, claims
bad soil mismanagement, climate change and rising populations
are leading to a decline in suitable farming soil.
An estimated 75 billion tonnes of soil is lost annually with
more than 80 per cent of the world's farming land 'moderately
or severely eroded', the report found. Soil is being lost
in China 57 times faster than it can be replaced through natural
processes - in Europe 17 times faster and in America 10 times
faster.
The study said all suitable farming soil could vanish within
60 years if quick action was not taken, leading to a global
food crisis.
John Crawford, professor of Sustainable Agriculture at the
University of Sydney, who presented the study, said - "It
could be as little as 60 years and that is a scary figure
because it is not obvious that we have time to reverse decline
and still meet future demands for food," according to The
Daily Telegraph.
Over-ploughing is one of the chief culprits because it leaves
topsoil open to erosion by wind and rain.
David Motgomery - author of Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations
- advocates a wholesale change in farming practices to
'no-till agriculture', currently used by about five
per cent of the world's farmers. This method leaves crop stubble
in the field to be mixed with the top layer of the soil and
means less ploughing is needed.
However, such methods can lead to lower thresholds, making
it harder to feed the world's population.
Last year, food prices rocketed as wheat stocks dropped to
a 30-year low and countries started to bulk buy.
|
