In September 2011 the UN General Assembly held a special one-day conference to examine a forgotten environmental crisis, perhaps the most important one of all: soil erosion. There is constant concern about climate change, extinction of wildlife and the pollution of air and water, but rarely does attention focus on soil, an essential element of life.
We all depend on the 15–30 cm of topsoil that covers much of the Earth’s crust, and we are going to need it more and more as the world’s population grows. Food production will need to increase to cope with population increases. Already even in years of good harvests demand exceeds supply, causing hunger and price increases in many areas.
Your organisation does not have access to this article.
Sign up today to give your students the edge they need to achieve their best grades with subject expertise
Subscribe
