Soil/Land header
Soil/Land

Healthy soils are the basis for healthy food production. Soils are the foundation for vegetation which is cultivated or managed for feed, fibre, fuel and medicinal products. Soils support our planet's biodiversity and they host a quarter of the total. Soils help to combat and adapt to climate change by playing a key role in the carbon cycle. Soils store and filter water, improving our resilience to floods and droughts. Soil is a non-renewable resource; its preservation is essential for food security and our sustainable future.

Did you know

  • The earth's surface is about

    70,9% water and

    29,1% land.

  • Humans obtain

    more than 99,7%

    of their food (calories) from land.

  • Soils hosts 25% of the planet's biodiversity.

  • 60%

    of all ecosystem services are

    degraded.

  • 50,000qm2

    are annually lost

    to land degradation.

    This surface equals Costa Rica.

  • 33%

    of global soils are

    degraded

    (16% of Africa).

  • 167 countries

    declared themselves

    affected by desertification

  • It takes up to

    1000 years

    to produce 2-3 cm of soil.

  • Land footprint:

    1 car = 150m2

    1kg beef = 22m2
     

  • Land footprint:

    1 coffee = 4,3m2

    1 burger with fries = 3,61m2

Zur Newsübersicht