A new vision for the planet: Revive soils, reimagine environment

By Robert Kigongo.

Recently, I have had quarrelsome nights with my wife due to the Family's daily Money ‘Kameeza’, which is used to purchase food, stating it’s no longer enough due to rising commodity and food prices.

Therefore, I decided to at least purchase food in Nakasero Market in Kampala but was shocked that 20,000 Ugandan shillings Kameeza money can barely purchase a lot due to the increase in food prices.

The increasing food prices and raising concerns for agro-products and food quality in markets.

There are numerous reasons for the lack of all-season sufficient food, poor quality of agro produce and low quality of agro produces and low productivity, from land degradation, and deteriorating soil health to loss of biodiversity accelerating climate crisis.

Subsequently, as a family man who purchases food and other agro products, I am feeling the pitch in my pocket and the consequences at home.

However, the deteriorating soil health poses the gravest threats to our crops, food, livestock and the ecosystem.

This is the very reason am raising an immediate concern to restore our soils to address food insecurity that can cause malnutrition, land conflicts, family breakups and inflation.

Soils are the basis of healthy food production and host a quarter of the planet's biodiversity.

Soil is essential to life on earth for human existence but our human-induced activities have put it at risk thus its health diminishing.

Soil provides oxygen, hydrogen and carbon for both plants, animals and humans.

I remember greater Masaka in the central region was referred to as the food basket of the East African region but today we hardly have those heavy bananas due to loss of NPK ingredients in the soils.

Our plants like banana, maize, Irish potatoes, beans, coffee, and millet among others need several nutrients to grow and produce healthy and nutritious food.

Natural different soils contain different amounts of nutrients classified into macro and micronutrients.

The macro is clustered into primary nutrients (Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) and secondary nutrients (Sulphur, calcium and magnesium) that all together play a fundamental role in energy metabolism and protein synthesis that helps in plant growth.

The micronutrients include iron, boron, manganese molybdenum, chloride, Zinc, Copper, Noel) enables a plant to grow properly and achieve a degree of immunity to fight pests, weather elements and bacteria.

Healthier soils promote nutrients for organisms, food, fibre and fuel, carbon sequestration, climate regulation, habitat for organisms, flood regulation, sources of pharmaceuticals and generic resources and foundation for human infrastructure and aesthetic values.

However, as human beings continue to use soils for the above-listed activities, gradually our soils have been exposed to pollution among other threats

Our human activities namely compactions, acidification, contamination, loss of soil biodiversity, soil sealing and land take, salinization and sodification, and water logging.

In the central region among other areas due to the higher demands of yields, there has been excessive use of pesticides and G.M.O seeds which has exposed soils to nutrient imbalance and acidification.

For instance, In Elgon region has gone through turmoil of landslides, land taking, heavy rain pours and water logging and floods have exposed our soils to erosion.

The overcultivation of soils over decades has led to organic carbon change and nutrient imbalance.

Our urban rural accumulated waste improper disposal and sodium chloride salted water have exposed our soils to salination and sodification.

Overuse of mechanization traditional hoes, and infrastructure establishment have exposed our soils to pollution.

Large-scale use of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides has polluted in rural areas.

Contamination of oil and petroleum products like plastics contributed to soil pollution.

Transboundary pollution in the Lake Victoria basins is one of the major causes of soil pollution in the country's waterways.

The invasive fall of army warms among others caused substantial damage to commercially grown ornament trees, scrubs and several crops.

Scientifically and environmentally, every action reacts there are impacts of pollution on key soil functions;

Soil pollution causes a chain of degradation processes in soil jeopardizing its ability to provide ecosystem services;

I.)Soil pollution leads to reduced crop yields and reduced inputs of organic matter.

II.) Polluted soils are not suitable for residential, agricultural and recreational uses.

III.) Reduced vegetation cover and flood control capacity.

IV.) Promotion of anti-microbial resistance and loss of genetic resources.

V.) Higher GHC emissions contributing to climate change

1. limited buffering and filtering capacity.

VII.) Nutrient imbalance due to alterations in soil biodiversity and loads of nutrients.

Sadly, the status of our soil health is in a bad state, especially in the central region, parts of the north and eastern affecting our farming communities.

For example, our farmers in greater Masaka work and Gomba so hard and- get so little profit due to soil pollution and unhealthy soils.

The causes of soil pollution are now known and the solutions are also available;

Revive soils, bring back soils by helping soil to regenerate because the healthier the soils, the healthier the planet and the healthier the people.

In Uganda 70% of the population are farmers but if ask how many carry out soil sampling before they cultivate the land, unfortunately, you may get 2% of them;

Therefore, soil sampling plays a central role in our ecological journey to revive soils, knowing what crops and fertilizers are suitable for your land.

Soil sampling and testing is the first step to determine the nutrient status of your soils and make nutrient management decisions.

Periodic soil sampling is beneficiary for some nutrients while less frequent sampling is acceptable for others.

If our farmers across the spectrum periodically carry out soil testing they will be able to know the type of soils, levels of nutrients (NPK), better choice of crops for land, and what fertilizers are best for the farmland.

For example, after soil testing in greater parts of Masaka and Gomba, there was a major shift from bananas to pineapples and coffee as major crops.

Change of practices and use of inorganic fertilizers is very critical perhaps opting for organic safer fertilizers will minimise the pollution.

Growing trees to restore land, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, water regulation and floods and most notably control soil erosions is very critical.

For example, in Sironko and Mbale districts in the Elgon region, there is a massive growth of trees to cross erosions as a result they have increased the arable land, regulate floods and climate regulation.

Halting cultivation on soils to regenerate for a specific period, growing specific environmentally friendly grasses and cover crops that restore nutrients.

Ending new fossil fuel projects that contributed to the manufacturing of petroleum products.

Proper disposal of waste, petroleum products and sodium salt will save soils from pollution, salination and solidification.

For example, in Ggaba urban communities are now degrading waste into bio-degradable and non-biodegradable hence saving soils from pollution of plastics.

‘The revival of healthier soils will protect nature, restore biodiversity and ecosystem, bolster food security and certainly improve livelihoods’

Environmentally, reviving soils cannot happen without land restoration initiatives, reducing greenhouse emissions, and ending fossil fuel use.

Conclusively, restoring land and reviving soils is a great deal for nature, people and a stable climate.

 

Robert Kigongo is an environmentalist, climate change crusader and nature-based business practitioner.