While crucial, this perspective can overshadow another fundamental aspect of soil health and its broader environmental impact: the soil microbiome. The risk inherent is a misallocation of resources and efforts towards practices that might not fully address the complexity of environmental regeneration.
Industrial agriculture, with its heavy reliance on monocropping, tilling and chemical inputs, directly impacts the complex life inside the soil, responsible for and supporting all life on land. The widespread use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides disrupts the delicate balance of microorganisms in the soil, diminishing biodiversity and impairing the soil's natural functions.
A healthy soil microbiome is crucial for nutrient cycling, water retention, and overall soil fertility, also impacting the nutrient quality and density of crops coming out of the soil. When this microbiome is compromised, the soil's capacity to support plant life and regulate water flow through the small water cycle is significantly weakened.
The small water cycle describes the localized process of water movement through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation within a specific area. This cycle is heavily influenced by vegetation, soil quality, and land use practices. It is a critical component of local climates, contributing to 40-60% of local rainfall.
However, human activities such as deforestation, urban development, and industrial farming have dramatically altered the soil's ability to retain water, disrupting evaporation and transpiration rates. These changes not only affect local climate patterns but also undermine the small water cycle's efficiency, leading to reduced rainfall and increased droughts or floods.
While carbon sequestration is vital for mitigating climate change, focusing solely on this aspect can lead to a narrow understanding of soil health. A healthy soil microbiome not only enhances carbon storage but also plays a pivotal role in improving the soil's ability to absorb and retain water. This, in turn, can mitigate the extremes of drought and flooding, contributing to more stable local climates and ecosystems.
Burning questions surround biomass-based carbon removals
Moreover, the health of the soil microbiome is foundational to biodiversity. A diverse and vibrant soil ecosystem fosters a wider range of plant and animal life, enhancing overall ecosystem resilience and productivity. This biodiversity is crucial for sustainable agriculture and food security, as well as for the resilience of natural ecosystems against environmental stresses.
The potential misallocation of resources towards carbon-centric solutions, without considering the broader ecological roles of soil, may inadvertently exacerbate other environmental challenges. It underscores the need for a holistic approach to environmental stewardship, one that recognizes the intricate connections between the soil microbiome, the small water cycle, and the broader climate system.
While the Biofuel sector is in the process of introducing a Low Carbon Intensity score to measure progress towards soil health, The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) have adopted a more food group–based approach. Most nutrient profiling (NP) models continue to assess nutrient density of individual foods, based on a small number of individual nutrients. Nutrients to encourage have included protein, fiber, and a wide range of vitamins and minerals. Nutrients to limit are typically saturated fats, total or added sugars, and sodium.
Because current NP models may not fully capture the healthfulness of foods, there is a case for advancing a hybrid NP approach that takes both nutrients and desirable food groups and food ingredients into account. Creating a nutrient- and food-based NP model may provide a more integrated way of assessing a food’s nutrient density.
Hybrid nutrient density scores will provide for a better alignment between NP models and the DGA, a chief instrument of food and nutrition policy in the United States. Such synergy may lead ultimately to improve not only dietary guidance, sound nutrition policy, and better public health, but also reward soil health practices that improve the nutrient content of crops.
