By Francisco Peyret
Today, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 33 percent of the soil worldwide is moderately to highly degraded due to erosion, salinization, compaction, acidification, or chemical contamination. According to scientists, soil erosion is the main threat. It is estimated by scientists that between now and 2050 soil erosion could cause a 10 percent drop in crop production and the loss of 75 billion tons of soil worldwide.
Soil erosion affects the productivity of agricultural fields, degrades ecosystem functions, increases hydrogeological risks such as landslides and floods, damages urban infrastructure, causes significant loss of biodiversity, and in extreme cases, leads to species displacement. Here in Mexico, the greatest culprit of soil degradation is water erosion. According to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), soil erosion alone has affected 37 percent, or 72,465,144 hectares, of the country.
According to Agustín Madrigal (Salvemos al Río Laja, A.C.), when soil is worked sustainably, it can play an important role in mitigating climate change through carbon storage and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. Conversely, if soil is mismanaged or cultivated using unsustainable agricultural practices, carbon in the soil can be released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO2), which can contribute to climate change. The steady conversion of grasslands and forests to cropland and grazing land over the past few centuries has resulted in record losses of soil carbon around the world.
Unfortunately, the discussions at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) focused mainly on evaluating the effects of climate change related to the use of fossil fuels, so it seems difficult to reach agreements that truly promote climate mitigation. I note that at this summit, Russia (due to the war in Ukraine), India, and China, among the largest emitters of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere, did not attend.
Even important agreements, such as the one related to the Accelerating to Zero coalition, which over 200 countries signed to eliminate the sale of combustion cars and vans from 2035 in the large markets, are of little use if the world’s large producers have not yet signed it. This includes China, the US, Japan, India, South Korea, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, and Thailand.
However, at COP27, agreements were reached to set funds for losses and damages between the most polluting countries and developing countries. The issue is complex and not very encouraging if these funds are managed by institutions established by the International Monetary Fund. Financing institutions with a broader focus must apply resources to proposals associated with implementing climate change measures, as well as use funds to mitigate damage and losses due to climatic phenomena in developing countries.
We must break with the paradigm that drives COP, which focuses on asking the most polluting countries on the planet and global corporations to “improve their behavior.” The impacts of climate change are imminent, so efforts and resources have to focus on the processes of adapting to climate change, as well as investing in developing national and local policies that allow communities to generate different sustainable ways to produce food, goods, and services. Here, the role of proper management of water resources and soil is paramount. The availability of water and food security worldwide is at stake.
Soil recovery and, essentially, its regeneration are essential to reforesting and producing healthy food. After summits of COP27 it should be clear that we are not going to find the answers in an annual meeting where countless interests of all kinds collide. It is very important to find another path. The political will and financial resources of enough successful individual, local, and community experiences exist that it is time to change the paradigm of globalization.
The following is an extract of a poem dedicated to the Earth:
The Ground Is Crying
By Adam
The ground is crying, it cries dried tears of
pain and sadness, cries harmful tears for
the earth itself, and her pain is because her children
have despised her love.
