Welcome to our mini series on salt-affected soils. In this piece we look at; healthy, saline, and sodic soils, and what you can do to help. This is aimed at raising awareness of the UN FAO World Soil Day on 5th December 2021 and part of our series on Growing Sustainably.
You can find all content in this mini series at Mini Series: Salt Affected Soils.
If you already know that you have the power to improve salt affected soils and help climate change, here are the options to make conscious decisions when buying food and drink:
- Check out #VoteWithOurMoney with 6 Steps to Help Stop Climate Change
- Try the Sustainability Roadmap with 40+ Solutions to Climate Change
- Use the Company Directory to Help You Grow, Eat, and Live Sustainably
If you want some more facts before making any decisions, let’s get into the details:
What Are Salt Affected Soils?
Salt affected soils by salinity and sodicity undergo a rapid decline of health, losing their capacity to grow healthy plants, filter water, store carbon in the soil (and take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere), and other necessary ecosystem functions.
Healthy Soils
A healthy soil is able to sustain the productivity, diversity, and environmental services of terrestrial ecosystems:
- Good and stable aggregates (this is healthy soil that stores carbon)
- Available water
- Nutrient balance
- High content of soil organic carbon
- Rich biodiversity
- No contaminants (such as pesticides and other toxic chemicals)
Saline Soils
Saline soils have excessive levels of soluble salts. It can negatively impact or inhibit plant growth, and can be toxic to life:
- Bad structure
- Nutrient imbalance
- Less biodiversity
- Less available water
Sodic Soils
Sodic soils have a high amount of adsorbed sodium. It leads to degradation of soil structure and inhibits plant growth:
- Massive structure in the subsoil
- Less biodiversity
- Nutrient imbalance
You Can Improve Salt Affected Soils and Reverse Climate Change
I realised that the decisions I make when buying healthy food, give me the power to help climate change, encourage farmers to switch from degenerative to regenerative agriculture, and improve the health and happiness of my family.
Advocating for regenerative agriculture can seem completely removed from our day to day lives, however, the questions we ask in food shops, the healthy food we buy, and the conscious choices we make are all reminders that we have the power to improve our future and the health of planet earth.
Check-out our 10-part mini series on Conscious Buying Decisions to Help Climate Change with an article going live every week starting from 18th November 2021. You can also get the audio version by subscribing to our podcast or the video version by subscribing to our YouTube channel.
About World Soil Day 2021
Soil salinization and sodification are major soil degradation processes threatening ecosystem and are recognized as being among the most important problems at a global level for agricultural production, food security, and sustainability in arid and semi-arid regions. World Soil Day 2021 (#WorldSoilDay) and its campaign “Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity” aims to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being by addressing the growing challenges in soil management, fighting soil salinization, increasing soil awareness, and encouraging societies to improve soil health.
Find Out More at UN FAO World Soil Day
Want To Get Updates About This Mini Series?
You can get updates about this mini series by Subscribing to Our Newsletter, Subscribing to Our Podcast, or Subscribing to Our YouTube Channel.
Suggested Reading
If you like the topic of this mini series, you might be interested in these reading suggestions with links to each book on Amazon.
Find Kiss the Ground by Josh Tickell Here on Amazon*
Find Soil Will Save Us by Kristin Ohlson Here on Amazon*
Find Soil, Grass, Hope by Courtney White Here on Amazon*
Find Dawn Again: Tracking the Wisdom of the Wild by Markegard and Doniga Here on Amazon*
Find Diet for a Hot Planet by Anna Lappé Here on Amazon*
Find Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David Montgomery Here on Amazon*
Want to Continue Your Journey?
Where Next?
There is so much inspiring information to give you ideas of how to help climate change by growing, eating, and living sustainably, you can:
- Read Our Articles
- Sign-Up to Our Free Email Newsletter
- Get Started and Vote with Your Money
- Try the Sustainability Roadmap
- Use the Company Directory
- Support Nafford Junction
Help Us Inspire Others
If you are passionate about helping climate change, please consider supporting Nafford Junction, you can:
- Become a Patron to Give Regular Contributions
- Buy Me a Coffee to Make a One-Off Contribution
- Create for Us and Publish Thought Provoking Content
- Become an Inspiring Leader and Advertise with Us
- Go to NaffordJunction.co.uk/support
Production Notes
This was produced by me, James Walters, as a personal project to help stop climate change by inspiring others to grow, eat, and live sustainably.
Any advice given is the opinion of those involved and does not constitute medical, financial, or legal advice.
* We include links we think you will find useful. If you buy through those links, we may earn a small commission. It’s one way to support our work and to inspire as many people as possible.