The Week posted an intriguing article this week on the continuing loss of soil from the United States and other parts of the world due to erosion caused by poor land management practices. Farmers and anyone who likes to eat depend on the presence of good soil to grow the food that feeds us all. But soil is disappearing at ten times the rate that it is being replenished, which could be a cause for concern in the future. That is part of the reason that this year is being celebrated as the International Year of Soils.
Farmers are already taking measures to preserve the soil by terracing and using cover crops to retain the soil. As world population continues to grow and if trends towards higher-intensity rain continue, we will need to guard the soil even more carefully so that we can all be fed in the future.
