Desertification and Regenerative Agriculture

Globally, climate change is one of the most discussed topics today. People have different solutions and beliefs about the problem, and there are those who do not consider it to be severe. The very existence of life is under threat and I think it is a serious problem knocking at our doors. According to experts, climate change is influenced by many factors. My work today will cover one of them, "Desertification of soil", and how that causes climate change. There can be a much more serious problem than climate change if we don't take appropriate measures, which I will discuss in the following paragraphs. Paul Hawken, an environmentalist, has published a book entitled "Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation", in which he has addressed a topic called Regenerative agriculture, which is one of the possible solutions to climate change and desertification. This essay will also cover the cause of this problem, what are the barriers, what we have tried and what we can try, and what are the consequences of inaction. In addition, the essay will also include research done by experts and scientists. In addition, I will try to present some mind-blowing facts and research work by experts.

In defining the term "desertification", scientists and experts refer to it as a process where the soil becomes eroded, less fertile or biologically productive, and contaminated with toxic chemicals. However, some people do have their own definition of desertification, but according to Princeton University's dictionary, the most widely accepted definition is: "Changing a fertile area from one that is productive into a desert due to deforestation, drought, or improper/inappropriate agriculture". Some scientists also refer to desertification as “Soil Degradation”. The next question that comes into our minds is “what is the cause of this dangerous phenomenon?”. Desertification is a process that occurs when dryland environments become increasingly barren and inhospitable to plant and animal life. This can be caused by a variety of factors, including changes in the climate and the use of land management practices that are not sustainable. As it is, the world is already experiencing some serious problems. One of them is climate change, which when combined with desertification makes things even more problematic. There are already certain projections made by experts regarding climate change. However, when these projections are combined with the dire effects of desertification, they can have some very dire consequences. At first glance, it seems that desertification is part of climate change, but scientific studies show that desertification is the leading cause of climate change. There are many consequences of desertification, such as deforestation, drylands, droughts, and more. These are all factors that contribute to the climate crisis. Which means desertification is a leading cause of climate change.

Now let's discuss a few other hazardous consequences of desertification that explain why action is needed. I got scared by studying some research work and the on-site examinations by scientists and experts. Some of the facts were shocking to me as a young boy. In the first place, most people do not know about desertification and its consequences. In COP14 – UN Convention to Combat Desertification, some shocking facts were presented by experts based on research. “Until now, we have degraded 52% of agricultural soil. As a result, it is expected that in the coming two decades, there will be 38%-42% less food for 9.3 billion people (estimated earth’s population after 20 years)”. History is evidence that people can do anything to get food. We can imagine the suffering that will unfold in the world. Moreover, poor soil leads to poor nutritional value. The amount of nutrients in fruits and vegetables has already decreased by 90% as compared to pre-industrialization and due to it, around 2 billion people suffer from nutritional deficiencies. In India, for instance, soil conditions are deteriorating so rapidly that nourishment levels are declining rapidly. During the last 25 years, there has been a 30% decrease in the nutritional value of Indian vegetables. Furthermore, water scarcity will quickly increase, as depleted soil will not be able to absorb and regulate water flows, which is another way of saying we are likely to witness "desertization" across the globe. Many countries suffer from water scarcity. According to the World Resources Institute, "17 countries experience extremely high levels of water stress, meaning that they have a high demand for water relative to their available supply. These countries are Qatar, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, United Arab Emirates, San Marino, Bahrain, India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Oman, and Botswana”.

Another major issue with soil is that it contains three times more carbon than living plants and twice as much as the atmosphere. This makes it a vital part of carbon sequestration. If the world's soils are not revitalized, they may release 850 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing significantly to climate change. As a result, this amount exceeds all of humanity's emissions combined over the last 30 years. As the temperature rises, the organic matter in the soil is more likely to decay, resulting in widespread soil carbon losses. In the Arctic, we are already seeing this phenomenon as permafrost, or permanently frozen soil, thaws. This release of CO2 into the atmosphere could create a self-reinforcing feedback loop, where lost soil carbon further warms the Earth and releases even more carbon into the atmosphere. In addition to contributing to climate change, soil degradation also has serious consequences for biodiversity and human livelihoods. Besides that, scientists estimate that around 27000 species of life forms become extinct each year because of habitat loss. There has been a significant decrease in insect biomass to the point where it has reached 80%. A loss of biodiversity further disrupts soil habitats and prevents the soil from regenerating due to the disruption of biodiversity. In addition, loss of livelihoods will be a common problem. The combination of water and food scarcity, population growth, and losses of livelihoods could cause over a billion people to migrate to other regions. It is possible to see conflicts and wars. Everything combined with water and food scarcity, population growth, and losses of livelihoods could cause over a billion people to migrate to other regions. It is possible to see conflicts and wars. More than 90% of major wars and conflicts in Africa since 1990 have been rooted in land issues. Protest movements have traditionally been sparked by high food prices, dating back to the French Revolution and the Arab Spring.

One of the ways to deal with this problem is “Carbon Sequestration”. This means the process of storing carbon in the soil. The topic is vast, and it can be accomplished in many different ways, including biological processes on land, physical processes, sequestration techniques in the oceans, and chemical processes. Carbon dioxide is naturally captured from the atmosphere through biological, chemical, and physical processes. Several artificial techniques for sequestration rely on these natural processes, while others rely on artificial technologies. Over a billion more tons of carbon could be sequestered in agricultural soils each year, according to scientists. Increasingly, policymakers are considering soil-based carbon sequestration as a "negative emissions" technology -- one that removes CO2 from the air and stores it somewhere it can't easily escape. Carbon sequestration can be achieved through soil-based methods on cropland, which occupies 10 percent of the earth's surface. It is possible for farmers to increase soil carbon levels by planting certain crops. Moreover, perennial crops grow deep roots, which allow the soil to store more carbon because they do not die every year. “Green manure” such as clover, beans, and peas can enhance soil carbon by being plowed under the ground as cover crops after main crops have been harvested. Tilling can also be done less intensively by farmers. According to some supporters of these practices, soil health and food production can be improved as a result of farming practices that increase carbon storage.

Paul Hawken has another approach to dealing with climate change, “Regenerative Agriculture”, which is more or less similar to carbon sequestration. Regenerative agriculture is a method of sustainable farming that focuses on conserving and rehabilitating natural systems. There are a number of objectives of the program, including the regeneration of topsoil, the increase of biodiversity, improving the water cycle, improving ecosystem services, supporting bio-sequestration, increasing resilience to climate change, and improving soil health. It is possible to reverse this trend by using regenerative agriculture practices, including no-till farming, rotational grazing, mixed crop rotations, cover crops, compost, and manure. No-till agriculture, a farming method that involves planting crops without disturbing the soil, can help increase the amount of carbon in the soil. The crop residues left behind after planting are pressed into the soil, allowing carbon to be reintroduced. Some research has found that using no-till practices could lead to a threefold increase in soil carbon within 15 years. The conversion of cropland to no-till systems may also offer a significant opportunity to capture human-generated CO2 emissions. In addition to reducing soil degradation and potentially mitigating soil carbon emissions, regenerative grazing management techniques, particularly adaptive multi-paddock grazing (AMP), may also be effective. Because AMP is more sustainable than continuous grazing, it is more environmentally friendly. Rotation of crops and the maintenance of permanent cover crops are key to reducing soil erosion, and together with AMP grazing, these measures may result in net carbon sequestration. Another option is to cover the soil with crops or grass throughout the year, that is, you will not expose the soil directly to light, which will help the microorganisms thrive and the soil quality will improve. In order to combat soil degradation, regenerative agriculture is one of the best methods.

I would like to briefly describe the Global movement initiated by Sadhguru, in which he strives for a conscious approach to soil and the planet. On a lone motorcycle, he traveled over 30,000 kilometers across 24 nations over a period of over 5 years. The journey began in London and ended in the Cauvery basin in southern India. He has also collaborated with the UNCCD; United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and he addressed the COP14 summit to present possible solutions to this problem. Sadhguru has developed a "Global Policy Draft, as well as seven regional policies". These are for Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and Northern Africa, North America, and Oceania. His collaboration with governments from different countries has resulted in many accomplishments. I will cite some official links (at the end of the article) for a more detailed description.

Ultimately, it is up to us how we want our future and world to be. It’s our choice between making this world a better place to live or we may see a chaotic world with disasters and suffering all around. People like Paul Hawke, Sadhguru, and many others will come, but how we as individuals realize the severity of the problem and how fast we start taking action will determine our future. Although the points discussed above can be accomplished, government support and world leaders will have a significant impact on reversing climate change. Achieving "zero emissions" is not easy, but it's not impossible. Our young generation will play a crucial role in this revolution. They need to know what's coming and how we can fix it. In the end, it will always come down to working together.

Senjaliya, Raj. “On 18th December 2022”.

Mountain View, United States

Resources

Book by Paul Hawken; “Regeneration”

"Desertification | Description, Causes, & Impacts | Britannica"

"Geoengineering the climate: science, governance and uncertainty

Home to One-Quarter of the World's Population, Face Extremely High-Water Stress | World Resources Institute (wri.org)

Soil-Based Carbon Sequestration | MIT Climate Portal

The Save Soil Movement, initiated by Sadhguru, a yogi, mystic and visionary.