Soil is a diverse ecosystem of living and nonliving elements working together to create the surface of our Earth. Soil provides many services such as habitat to many creatures, the ability to facilitate plant growth, and provides a stable surface for all infrastructure. Without soil life on Earth would be very different, but today soil is eroding at alarming rates. Through history, when soil has certain desirable properties humans have decided to convert land with these soil types for “beneficial” uses. This land conversion harms the soil, as well as the native ecosystems and other natural resources.
With our globalized food system primarily depending on large scale farming operations, mass production of GMO crops, and monocultures crops, our food system is increasingly threatening food safety, nutrition, human health, and environmental quality. We need a shift in our food system towards small scale, environmentally-conscious farmers.
Scroll down for a preview of MCE’s resources related to soil and agriculture, including information about soil, the importance of sustainable agriculture for protecting soil health, and how policy impacts agriculture.
Soil Story Map
Sustainable Agriculture Story Map
Policy and Agriculture Story Map
