In our daily lives, most people are unaware that the soil beneath our feet contains a rich and diverse community of plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Soil is more than just "dirt"; it is a vital repository of global biodiversity, supporting agricultural development and food security, regulating greenhouse gas emissions, and contributing to plant, animal, and human health.

Let's take action to maintain soil vitality and protect soil biodiversity!

The following is a partial list of reasons why we need to take action:

1. Soil is a reservoir of biodiversity.

Soil is home to a community of underground organisms. A spoonful of soil contains more organisms than the population of the earth.

Vertebrates, invertebrates, viruses, bacteria, fungi, lichens, and plants live in healthy and diverse soils, providing multiple ecosystem functions and services to humans and all living things.

Soils contain more than 25% of the Earth's total biodiversity! The diverse communities within these organisms keep the soil healthy and fertile, and in turn, plants nourish the soil throughout this life.

2. Soil biodiversity is vital to our food.

Our food system cannot be separated from the soil, it is estimated that 95% of all food is produced directly or indirectly in the soil.

Nutrition depends on the availability and balance of nutrients in the edible parts of plants, which ultimately depends on the nutrients present in the soil.

Therefore, the more biologically rich the soil is, the more nutrient-rich our food will be.

3. Soil biodiversity is vital to our health.

Soil biodiversity is an important source of chemical and genetic resources needed to develop new drugs.

Soil microorganisms can be used to produce antibiotics. For example, penicillin, one of the most widely used antibiotics in the world, is derived from a fungus in the soil.

The study of healthy soils not only helps us better understand the role of microbes in ecosystems but also helps to improve food safety and control pests and diseases.

Studies have also shown that children's exposure to microorganisms in healthy soil can increase their disease resistance and prevent health problems such as allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and depression.

4. Soil biodiversity can clean the air we breathe and combat climate change.

Soil organisms can break down or remove certain types of pollutants. For example, soil organisms can break down certain organic pollutants and convert them into non-toxic substances.

Not only that, but soil is an important part of the carbon cycle, and healthy soil is the largest reservoir of carbon on the planet.

5. We need to maintain healthy and diverse soils

Land use change, unsustainable soil management practices, soil compaction, pollution, and frequent fires can irreversibly damage soil biodiversity and its functions.

Some ecosystems may never recover. We need to act to protect soils before irreversible results are produced.

Soil is a very valuable natural resource, but we must remember that it is also finite. This means that degraded soils cannot be restored within the human lifespan.

Sustainability is key. Let us act and make soil health and biodiversity our priority.