SOIL, "THE FACTORY" OF LIFE, IS IN DANGER. TO TAKE CARE OF IT, WE NEED COMMITMENT FROM EVERYONE

"Hey! Welcome! Can't you see us? Look closer, we're here too... Where? Here! Down below. Yes! Down here, right under your feet! We are clods of earth. Together, we form the soil! Do you know what they do, all together, the many organisms (plants, animals, fungi and bacteria) that live in the soil? They sustain life on Earth."

SOILAB is one of the tools designed to promote educational activities designed for young people. Informing and raising awareness in new generations is a crucial step in the great challenge of returning one of the most important, yet most undervalued aspects of the planet to health: the soil.

Indeed, below our feet there is a lot more than just earth and rocks. The soil is a treasure trove of biodiversity. Every little clump is overflowing with life. Small, sometimes very small organisms of diverse species that play a fundamental role in the functioning of the ecosystem. This issue is not only important for those who care about the environment. The soil is the starting point for 95% of our food production, for the growth of vegetation, for the collection, filtration and flow of water to aquifers and rivers, for the removal of contaminants, and for the mitigation of climate change and the impacts of droughts. It is in the soil that the nutrients absorbed by plants are formed, allowing biomass to store carbon (carbon sink), which contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions and counteracts climate change.

The organic matter contained in the earth is the main feature determining the quality of soil and its capacity to nourish its microorganisms and plants, and therefore the fertility of the land. 

Into this unique ecosystem, mankind has introduced additional substances released by industry, transport, agriculture and other economic activities. Heavy metals, organic pollutants, microplastics, and synthetic chemical products that agro-industry still abuses today. This is how the soil where we grow our food products is contaminated, with significant impacts on human health and ecosystems.

"It is under our feet, but we never consider its value. We walk all over it, we mistreat it, but healthy, fertile soil is life. It is time to take care of it, and every one of us can make a difference."

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N° 7

education

Taking practical, collective, circular action.
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