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It is The United Nations’ World Soil Day on Tuesday 5 December.
On Tuesday 28 November I attended the Soil Science Australia: Parliamentary Friends of Soil Breakfast in Canberra, hosted by Soil Science Australia, Soil CRC and Soils for Life.
AORA supported the event and it was a pleasure to be involved and to witness strong bipartisan support for the event and importantly, an understanding of the critical role soil plays in all of our lives.
Soil and water are at the very foundation of our existence – for the food we grow, for the health of all of our ecosystems, for improving climate change, for our economy and for our human health. It is too easy to forget how important soil is; the Canberra breakfast was an opportunity to raise awareness and for our Federal Government to outline the ways they intend to further the delivery of programs through investment to improve soil health.
Of course, most farmers can tell you this but even they can get distracted by the value of soil when confronted with failing commodity prices, natural disasters and/or a myriad of other distractions. My late mother would on occasions testify to the fact that nothing is more important in life than your health; a proposition hard to argue with. On a larger aggregate basis there is nothing more important than the health of our land, climate, water and soil. These too are inextricably linked to our own health so we must focus on protecting and improving them.
Increasingly AORA is advocating on the role of compost to improving soil health. Compost feeds the soil microorganisms and helps them to build better soil structure, deliver important soil nutrients to plant roots, help fight off diseases and create a generally better-balanced soil ecosystem. This means more readily available nutrients and water for plants with fewer pests and less disease. It also means a greater store of carbon is delivered to the soil, a multi-faceted benefit.
On Tuesday 5 December, as you stand somewhere during your day – perhaps in a park, in your backyard, on a farm or even in your local supermarket buying meat, fruit and vegetables, take a moment to consider the value of soil.
A value we need to recognise and rate, if not, at our own peril.
John McKew
National Executive Officer
Australian Organics Recycling Association
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