3 ms·
I would say it is pretty fragile, half the worlds population is completely dependent on artificially produced fertilizer and unsustainable agricultural practice
by AngryData 3y ago
I would say it is pretty fragile, half the worlds population is completely dependent on artificially produced fertilizer and unsustainable agricultural practices to source their food. And its not that we don't have enough arable land to produce the food we need otherwise and far more sustainably, it is just less profitable so we don't do that. And if shit does hit the fan its not like we can reopen 50% more farmland within just a few years that hasn't been used in a decade or more and is overgrown with trees and shrubs. Plus a lot of the old farmland has been depleted before being abandoned and it takes many decades, usually around 75-150 years, to build the soil back up to previous topsoil depths, which also means dealing with reduced yields and sacrificing yield and fertilizer to the soil until it is.
- ReptileMan 3y agoWeren't there some studies about engineering rapid soil recovery - the right mix of bacteria and worms?
- imtringued 3y agoThis is not correct. You can recover soil in the timescales of 20 years through active management. The problem is that this is a losing battle. If the original farmer making the money didn't care, then who is going to pay to restore a plot of land from which they make no income whatsoever?