International year of the soils
Sep 30, 2015
Healthy soils are the foundation for food, fuel, fibre and even medicine.
That is why 2015 the United Nations declared 2015 as international year of the soils.
Soils are made up of organic remains, clay and rock particles, found on the Earth’s surface. We need soils to produce food, give clothes and build homes. Soils also store and filter water, recycle nutrients, and create a barrier against floods.
The area of fertile soils covering the world’s surface is limited. Deforestation, bad agricultural practices and pollution can cause soil degradation and erosion. Soils are also trapped underground when cities keep growing in size and more buildings are made.
