The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has named 2015 the ‘International Year of Soils’.

With the aid of the government, producers, farmers and consumers, everyone must become convinced that conscious use of the soil cannot wait another year.

...THE SOIL IS UNDER THREAT!

Our soils are under threat and we are rapidly losing healthy fertile ground.

We have literally lost contact with the ground under our feet. In Europe, soils are not always used in a sustainable way too, causing the soil not being able to perform many of its functions properly. Through intensive farming, attention to the soil has fallen drastically in recent decades.

Intensive use leads to loss of organic material and structure
Intensive use, heavy machinery and no coordination between crops and soil types lead to a loss of organic material and structure and is having consequences for water management and the vitality of the soil, among other things.

Independent research previously showed that tracks systems compact the soil less than extra flexible agricultural tyres.

TIP: For more interesting information on ‘The Year of Soils’, check out:

• Wageningen Soil Network: www.wageningensoilnetwork.nl

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: https://www.fao.org/soils-2015/en/