Embracing the Earth’s Pulse
The Year in Soil: A Look Back at 2024
Ah Soil, Yes, that stuff under your feet that usually gets stuck in your shoes (and occasionally in your carpet). This Unsung hero quietly nurtures our crops, sequesters carbon, and sustains biodiversity—while barely asking for credit. Yet, in 2024, SOIL finally had its red-carpet moment from global summits to groundbreaking declarations, this year was a journey through triumphs, challenges, and takeaways and a few dirty (pun intended) truths about the ground beneath our feet. Soil isn’t just dirt anymore—it’s destiny.
January to December: Soil Takes Center Stage
It started quietly enough. A few murmurs about Soil Health in January turned into a roar by December. By mid-year, it felt like soil had been officially knighted as the unsung hero of sustainable development. Here's why:
May: Nairobi Gets Dirty (In a Good Way)
The Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit
https://agra.org/news/key-highlights-from-day-2-of-the-africa-fertilizer-and-soil-health-summit/
Held in May in Nairobi, this summit wasn’t just another gabfest. African leaders rolled up their sleeves, and took soil discussions to new heights. The result? The Nairobi Declaration, a bold 10-year plan to rejuvenate soil health across the continent.
-
Big Idea: By 2034, 70% of Africa’s smallholder farmers will have access to targeted soil health recommendations. Ambitious? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely.
-
Fun Fact: Leaders also committed to tripling fertilizer production. Let’s hope they remember the small print about balancing synthetic inputs with organic options—because the planet’s not a fan of fertilizer runoff.
June–August: Soil Meets Climate Action
https://www.fao.org/events/detail/soil-water-forum-2024/en
The heat on climate conversations, and soil refused to sit on the sidelines. At various forums, including the International Soil and Water Forum, the narrative shifted from “soil degradation” to “soil as a climate solution.”
Did you know? Restoring just 2% of degraded soils globally could sequester 1.5 billion tons of carbon annually. Suddenly, soil wasn’t just the underdog; it was a full-blown climate change MVP.
Fun Fact: “Soil sequestration” was searched on Google more in July than “Taylor Swift tickets.”
November: Soil Takes the World Stage in New Delhi
https://www.iuss.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Final-Brochure-Global-Soils-Conference-2024.pdf
If May was Africa’s moment, November belonged to New Delhi. The Global Soils Conference 2024 brought together soil geeks, corporate honchos, and policymakers under one roof to hash out a bold, global strategy for sustainable soil management.
Delegates explored everything from regenerative agriculture to precision farming. A recurring theme was the call for “data-driven dirt.” (Yes, data for soil health is now a thing.)
Spoiler alert: they're planning on a soil "health passport" system for farmers. Imagine soil with its own ID—fascinating, right?
The conference tackled two of the biggest soil conundrums:
-
How to feed 10 billion people without turning Earth into a barren wasteland.
-
How soil can help us fight climate change by locking away carbon.
The Big Reveal: The “New Delhi Soil Accord” called on nations to allocate 2% of GDP to soil restoration projects. The logic? Healthier soils mean healthier economies.
December: World Soil Day Brings the Year Full Circle
December 5th, World Soil Day, was the ultimate mic drop moment. This year’s theme—"Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, manage"—reminded everyone that healthy soils are essential for biodiversity, climate action, and feeding a growing global population.
Across continents, celebrations ranged from tree-planting drives to soil testing camps. Kids drew pictures of “superhero soil,” proving that even the youngest among us get it: No soil, no life.
What’s Next? During the event, FAO announced a global campaign to equip 10 million farmers with free soil health monitoring kits by 2026. A win for farmers, ecosystems, and climate resilience!
What We Learned This Year
-
Soil is the Root of Everything: Literally. Healthy soil underpins sustainable agriculture, food security, and even climate resilience. Every conference this year hammered home this simple truth: without healthy soil, we’re toast (and not the good, buttery kind).
-
Collaboration is Key: Whether it’s governments working hand in hand with farmers or scientists swapping data across borders, collaboration has proven to be the secret sauce for soil-saving strategies.
-
Awareness is Everything: Most people don’t give dirt a second thought. But thanks to initiatives like World Soil Day, Save Soil the global movement and the Allure of Soil that are making soil trendy, catching on to the fact that the ground beneath their feet is a living, breathing ecosystem and showed that people care—when they understand why they should.
Of course, not everything was rosy. Here are the grimy bits:
-
Degradation Despair: Over 65% of Africa’s arable land remains degraded, costing the continent $4 billion annually in nutrient loss.
-
Climate Chaos: Droughts, floods, and extreme heat continue to batter soils worldwide, eroding their ability to support life.
-
Access Inequality: Smallholder farmers—who feed a third of the world—still struggle to access the fertilizers and technologies they need.
Recommendations for 2025 and Beyond
-
Go Regenerative: Let’s make “regenerative agriculture” more than a buzzword. Practices like crop rotation, cover cropping, and minimal tillage can turn soil into a carbon-storing powerhouse.
-
Policy, Policy, Policy: Governments must roll up their sleeves and fund soil health research, incentivize sustainable farming, and develop policies that go beyond short-term fixes.
-
Farmer Education: Farmers are the soil’s first responders. Equipping them with knowledge and tools will be key to any long-term soil strategy.
-
Educate the Masses
-
Who knew soil could be so fascinating? Let’s keep the momentum going with education campaigns and community programs.
-
Increase Investments: Governments must pour money into soil R&D— because soil’s ROI (return on investment) is infinite.
-
Foster Global Collaboration: Soil doesn’t respect borders. Neither should our efforts to protect it. More summits, more partnerships, and more shared solutions are the way forward. Think of it as the United Nations for dirt.
-
Celebrate Soil Year-Round: Why wait for World Soil Day when every day is soil day?
Glad you asked! Start small. Compost your kitchen scraps. Support local farmers. Read up on regenerative agriculture. Share this blog *hint, hint*. Every little bit helps.
As we head into 2025, the goal is simple: let’s remember that taking care of our soil isn’t just about saving dirt; it’s about saving ourselves.
So here’s to soil—messy, miraculous, and utterly essential. Let’s keep it healthy, keep it thriving, and most importantly, keep talking about it.
So, What Can You Do?
Biology & Our Future Begin
Soil: Where Beauty,
Let’s talk about the ground beneath your feet.
No, not metaphorically (though, stick with me—we’ll go there). I mean actual soil. That stuff that clings to your boots, gets under your fingernails, and somehow always ends up in your car no matter how careful you are. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t sparkle like gemstones or smell like roses.
Soil. Dirt. Earth.
Call it what you will—but don’t underestimate it. Because what seems mundane is actually magic.
It’s not just the canvas on which life is painted. It’s the paint, the brush, and half the artist too. And whether you're growing tomatoes in your backyard, building sustainable cities, or just soaking up the sun in your favorite park—soil is involved.
In fact, it’s the starting line of everything.
More Than Dirt: Soil is Alive
Let’s begin with a truth bomb: healthy soil is alive. One teaspoon of good loamy soil contains more living organisms than there are humans on Earth. Think about that. A microcosmic symphony of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, worms, beetles, and beyond—each playing their part in a silent, invisible dance that sustains ecosystems.
These organisms break down organic matter, fix nitrogen, cycle nutrients, and build soil structure. They’re like the backstage crew of life. Without them, our gardens, farms, forests—even the air we breathe—would collapse.
But here's the kicker: Soil isn't just biology. It's geology. It's chemistry. It's history. It’s art.
The Sensuality and Storytelling of Soil
Take a moment. Picture rich loamy soil: dark, crumbly, sweet-smelling. It’s the chocolate cake of the earth. Now contrast that with the golden coarseness of sand, slipping through your fingers like beachside hourglass grains. Or the thick, iron-red stickiness of clay, bold and heavy, like it holds secrets centuries old.
Each soil type is a fingerprint of place, climate, and time. Each color a mineral memory. Each texture a record of erosion, decomposition, and regeneration.
Soil is sensual. It’s textured. It’s alive. And it speaks—if you know how to listen.
The Six Soil Types: Nature’s Toolbox
Not all soil is created equal—and knowing your type can be the difference between struggle and success, whether you’re planting crops, designing green infrastructure, or restoring degraded land.
Sandy Soil – Light, dry, drains quickly. Great for root crops and fast growers, but poor at holding nutrients. Needs organic matter to stay grounded— Like the friend whose fun at parties but forgets your birthday.
Clay Soil – Dense and nutrient-rich. Sticky when wet, rock-hard when dry. But when managed well, it’s a plant powerhouse. Deep roots and moisture retention make it ideal for crops like rice and cabbage. You just have to unlock it.
Silt Soil – Silky smooth and super fertile, but prone to compaction. It’s like soil’s sensitive artist. Loves carrots, strawberries, and onions—but needs gentle care and structure to truly shine.
Peaty Soil – Dark, spongy, and full of decomposed organic matter. Excellent water retention and a natural insulator. Great for hydrophilic crops like celery and lettuce. It’s nature’s compost heap—but elevated.
Saline Soil – Salty and stubborn. Can be tricky for growing most crops without remediation. But it's a challenge worth tackling in dryland and coastal areas where salinity is rising due to climate change. Think of it as soil that needs some love (and science).
Loamy Soil – The holy grail. A balanced blend of sand, silt, and clay. Holds nutrients, drains well, and supports almost every crop. If soils were star signs, loam would be everyone’s soulmate.
A Living Archive Beneath Us
Soil holds more than seeds—it holds stories.
It’s a library of landscapes. Archaeologists read soil layers like historians read books. Geologists use it to trace ancient rivers and vanished volcanoes. Farmers use its texture and tone to predict rainfall and yield. And yet, most of us walk across it without even noticing.
It’s time we notice. Because soil isn’t just the starting point of agriculture—it’s the starting point of civilization. Our cities, our forests, our food, our future—all rest on a thin layer of living skin. Damaged soil = fragile future. And here’s the truth we don’t hear enough: soil is a finite resource. It takes hundreds of years to form just a few centimeters of topsoil. And yet, we lose it by the ton every year to erosion, urban sprawl, and careless development.
That should terrify us. But it should also mobilize us.
Soil is the Foundation of Sustainable Development
If we want to talk climate resilience, food security, clean water, and carbon capture—we have to talk soil.
Healthy soil sequesters carbon and buffers floods. It supports pollinators and cools cities. It filters water and feeds forests. It’s not just part of the solution to our planetary crises—it’s the bedrock of any solution that will actually last.
Which brings us to this moment: What are you standing on? What are you connected to?
Dig in: Your Soil Story Starts Here
Whether you’re a farmer, artist, activist, or simply a curious human, here’s how to fall in love with the ground again:
-
Go outside. Scoop up a handful of soil. Observe it. Smell it. Feel it.
-
Ask questions. What type is it? What does it support? What does it need?
-
Take photos. Zoom in. Look closer. See art in every granule.
-
Create. Use soil in your next painting. Make earth art with kids. Teach soil in your classroom.
-
Protect. Support soil conservation efforts. Plant cover crops. Reduce chemicals. Compost.
-
Share. Tell your soil story. Post it. Paint it. Farm it. Speak it.
We don’t have to be farmers to care about soil. We just have to be humans who want a future.
What kind of soil do you live on, love, or long to explore?
Drop a comment, share your soil art, or join the “Allure of Soil” campaign and celebrate the textures, tones, and truths beneath our feet.
After all, to know the earth is to love it—and to love it is to save it.
Want a DIY guide to identifying your soil type—and how to make the most of it? Say the word, and it’s yours.
So get grounded, get curious—and never look at dirt the same way again.
