WORLD Soil Day 2019, which falls on Dec 5 every year, calls attention to soil erosion which was identified as the number one environmental threat by World Soil Resources Report in 2015.
“The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations says the earth’s soil will be degraded by more than 90% by the year 2050.
“In Malaysia, we are already experiencing soil erosion which is affecting our crop yields, food security and environment, ” said Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) president Mohideen Abdul Kader.
He was speaking during a press conference at the CAP office in Jalan Masjid Negeri, Penang, to mark World Soil Day 2019.
Mohideen said soil is an infinite resource and despite its importance to life on earth, it is disheartening that it continues to be exploited.
“Soil is in danger of rapid urbanisation, deforestation, unsustainable land use and poor management practices plus intensive use of agrochemicals, mono-cropping, pollution, mining and climate change.
“Today, the equivalent of one football pitch of soil is eroded every five seconds, a degradation not recoverable within a human lifespan.
“Hence the theme for World Soil Day 2019 which is ‘Stop soil erosion, save our future’ is very apt.
“Intervention must be taken to prevent, remediate and mitigate soil erosion, ” he said.
Mohideen said CAP has a publication titled ‘Soil Health’, a guidebook that details measures to be taken to rejuvenate and maintain soil health.
“These include composting, mulching, adding green manure, cover crops, inter-cropping, practising crop rotation and controlling nematodes and root diseases in plants.
“Rehabilitation of degraded soil should not be through pumping in chemical fertilisers because chemicals kill our soil and threaten our farms, ” he said.
“Stopping soil erosion and restoration of degraded soil are imperative for our survival, ” he added.
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