Soil Crisis Threatens Food Security and Escalates Grocery Prices

As if grocery store prices weren't high enough already, experts are warning of an impending spike driven by increasingly unproductive agricultural soil.

Overfarming, climate change, and unsustainable practices are degrading vast amounts of farmland, threatening food supply chains, and pushing costs higher. The FAO estimates that 33% of Earth's soils are already degraded, and over 90% could face the same fate by 2050.

Soil erosion is a key driver of this crisis. While it occurs naturally, unsustainable human activities like intensive agriculture, deforestation, overgrazing, and improper land use have accelerated the process. Erosion rates now exceed soil formation rates, turning soil into a finite resource subject to irreversible loss. Newsweek reports that at this rate, 95% of America's soil could be degraded in less than 30 years, leaving just 5% intact.

Farmers and policymakers are implementing sustainable agricultural practices to combat this issue. Techniques such as cover cropping and reduced tillage are gaining traction. The USDA identifies cover cropping as critical for erosion control, soil restoration, enhanced carbon sequestration, and reduced reliance on synthetic fertilizers.

Farm Together advocates for reduced tillage, crop rotation, and no-till farming, which improve soil health, lower operational costs, and increase long-term farm value. Regenerative agriculture and soil-monitoring technologies also offer potential solutions for reversing the damage.

Large-scale factory farming must adopt these practices to prioritize the future of agriculture over short-term profits. Achieving sustainable soil management is essential for food security and long-term viability.