The Soil Association has hit out at the UK government’s new strategy to protect the country’s soil, lambasting it as “deeply unambitious”.
Leading UK soil scientists recently stressed the crucial role that soil can play in preventing climate change through its absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere.
The level and type of organic matter that is added to the soil is seen as highly important in soil carbon sequestration, making organic farming extremely effective.
However, the Soil Association complains, the government’s plans lay out no adequate measures to make use of this facility.
Peter Melchett, the Soil Association’s policy director, commented: “The Government states that historically soil was protected using good agricultural management techniques such as ‘crop rotation which allowed soils to naturally regenerate and grow crops sustainably’. Organic farming is underpinned by such practices and, with its recognised ability to store soil carbon, should be acknowledged as a key approach to protect our vital soils.”
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