International Soil Day 2019

Regenerating soil AND growing food

The land where I live has been exploited and badly damaged over many decades. The most noticeable impact is caused by the huge Eucalyptus and abundant Wattle that are overcrowding the area, dehydrating the soil, blocking the sunlight and limiting biodiversity. These plants were brought here for the vast monoculture plantations that surround us- as a replacement for the indigenous old-grow woods when they became highly endangered due to over harvesting and deforestation. Eucalyptus, Pine and Wattle are not from this country nor region, and our local flora and fauna cannot thrive here- they create a very limited ecosystem and wreak havoc on the natural ecosystem services that our unique endemic forests provide. But, with the right tools and resources, they can become a blessing! With a chainsaw and a chipper, we are able to turn biomass into compost which we use in our indigenous tree nursery, in our food gardens and in our agroforestry systems to improve the soil. While clea...

Soil for Food Security in South Africa

In South Africa the restrictions and impact of Covid-19 are having a direct effect on millions of children. 5 000 000 school children rely on government school feeding schemes. Since school closures and disruptions due to Covid-19 protocols and social distancing, millions of children are now going hungry. In a grassroots response to the ensuing food crisis and job losses, many local community members have set up soup kitchens from their own homes. Establishing food gardens creates an opportunity to feed into these soup kitchens with fresh, nourishing, healthy vegetable. Growing gardens restores a valuable sense of purpose and teaches a skill set that can help people to provide for themselves and their families´ basic needs. It also provides a place to connect, share seeds, recipes, nutritional advice and stories! Of course, at the foundation of these food gardens is the soil! Especially in a small, intensive space, soil fertility and nutrient cycling is ess...

Read and Sign The Soil4Life Manifesto

The time to act is Now! Please read and sign the Soil4Life manifesto to show your support! https://ccivs.org/soil-manifesto/ Sign the petition here: https://form.jotform.com/212072578209052 Our planet and the beings who reside here and make up the complex, whole, living system on which all life depends are under serious threat. Life functions are being threatened by exploitation, short term thinking, and a worldview that values economic and financial growth over the continuity of life and living systems. The complex, interconnected systems through which life on our planet has been able to flourish and grow over millennia have been misunderstood, misrepresented and ill treated for too long. We, as humans, have attempted to detach ourselves from the web of life. We have created a hierarchical worldview and placed our species at the top, instead of playing an integrated part in its life processes. This attitude and behaviour is destro...

Soil4Life

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