World Soil Day
How often do you consider soil? We’re betting not that often… but it’s an essential part of life on Earth and worth giving some serious thought. In fact, 95% of our food comes from soils and the quality of the soil really matters. Nutrient-deficient soil results in nutrient-deficient food, which is a worrying and growing problem.
World Soil Day is held by the Food and Agriculture Association of the UN every year on 5thDecember and is something we at Sungleam are very keen to support. So, what is World Soil Day and why is it important?
What is World Soil Day?
This annual, international event celebrates soil and raises awareness of its importance. The UN hope people will learn how to sustainably manage our soil resources for today and the future.
Why is soil important?
Soil nutrient loss threatens our own nutrition and is recognised as among the most important problems for food sustainability around the globe. Over the past 70 years, the level of vitamins and nutrients in food has drastically decreased and billions of people now suffer from a lack of micronutrients without even knowing it.
In some cases, soil in poor condition struggles to grow crops at all, while in others the extremely high levels of nutrients become toxic, polluting the environment and causing harm to plants and animals.
What are Sungleam doing for soil?
At Sungleam, we’re extremely conscious of the importance of soil and do everything we can to work alongside this valuable resource. As a member of The Soil Association, we receive regular updates on the latest news and farming practices, and share our own thoughts, tipsand concerns.
At our CEO’s family farm in South Africa, organic farming and working with nature has been at the absolute top of their priorities for generations. We know that respecting and working with nature not only means the best for the planet but the best crops, too. We insist that every hand-picked supplier shares our values so that all our delicious products are grown in a responsible way.
What can I do?
It can be hard when looking at such a big global problem to know how to help, but there are things you can do.
Choose organic food
Organic farmers must follow a strict set of rules on how they use the land and the products they add to it. Synthetic nitrogen fertilisers are banned (excess nitrogen is a dangerous pollutant of soil and waterways). Organic composts, manure and regular rotations result in far healthier soil which is also a much more effective CO2 store.
As a buyer, choosing organic products supports farmers in their efforts and will encourage more to follow these methods.
Get to know soil
There are more living organisms in a single tablespoon of soil than there are people on Earth! What’s more, handling soil has been shown to reduce stress levels and particular bacteria act as an antidepressant. Getting your hands dirty and planting something is rewarding, relaxing and puts you directly in touch with nature.
Learning about soil and respecting its importance is a great step in appreciating it on a global level. We hope this will inspire you to think about how food is grown and encourage conscious choices at the checkout.
Join the Soil Association
To keep up to date with the world of soil and how you can help, we’d encourage you to check out the fabulous Soil Association and support the work they do. We’ve been partners for years and think they’re incredible advocates for this extremely important cause.
Find out more
We’re extremely proud of the way Sungleam farms are run hand in hand with the environment. To find out more and learn what we do to help other farmers change their ways, visit our About page. If you’d like to sample some nuts from one of our organic farms, visit the shop. We’re sure you’ll agree that they taste extra-delicious in the knowledge that they’vebeen grown respectfully and responsibly.
And finally… happy World Soil Day 2022 from everyone at Sungleam Organic!