Declining EU Soil Quality Poses Threat to Farming

Declining EU soil quality poses threat to farming
By Fiona Harvey in London

European agriculture is under threat as the quality of soil worsens, particularly in eastern states. More than 16 per cent of the European Union's land is affected by soil degradation, but in the accession countries more than a third is affected, according to the first Soil Atlas of Europe, published last week.

This degradation can make agricultural land unsuitable for crop production, necessitating costly processes to restore its fertil ity and putting pressure on the Common Agricultural Policy, the EU's controversial system of farming subsidies.

Arwyn Jones, research scientist at the EU's Joint Research Centre, which produced the atlas, said: "Agriculture depends on healthy soil. But changes in farming, land use and climate are threatening the health of soil in many areas. As the atlas points out, we owe our existence to a thin layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains."

Changing land management practices have impoverished soil throughout Europe. In southern Europe nearly 75 per cent of the soil has an organic matter content - a measure of fertility - so low that it is a cause for concern. But even in England and Wales the percentage of soils classed as low in organic matter rose from 35 to 42 per cent between 1980 and 1995, owing to changes in farming practices.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/2b14412a-bb73-11d9-911a-00000e2511c8.html

...at an increasing pace, hastened by modern agricultural practices that focus on primary soil nutrients (N, P, K) and neglect organic matter (humus). One thing our forefathers did better than us was in understanding how to nurture the soil.

Thanks for the thread, chlamor, and here's to the memory of fz.

Peace.