Soil Chemistry and the One Health Initiative: Introduction to the Special Section

Ohno, Tsutomu; Hettiarachchi, Ganga M.

doi:10.2134/jeq2018.08.0290

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Human health and quality of life cannot progress any further within an environment that does not meet minimum health and quality standards. Among these, soil is key, because it continuously exchanges inert matter and living matter, as well as different forms of energy, with the other three environmental compartments [16][17][18]. The great similitude between soil-health and soil-quality concepts is more obvious within the framework of the "One World-One Health" paradigm in which the tight linkages between human, animal, and ecosystem health are recognized [14].…”

Section: Soil Health Soil Quality and Soil Fertilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Health of Vineyard Soils: Towards a Sustainable Viticulture

Visconti,

López,

Olego

2024

Horticulturae

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Soil health encompasses the effects the uppermost part of the land have on human wellbeing in a broad sense, because soil is where most food ultimately comes from, and because it more inconspicuously fulfils other ecological functions, as important as feeding, for our planet’s welfare, which is ours. Viticulture exploits the soil’s resources from which wine, its most valuable produce, boasts to obtain some of its unique quality traits, which are wrapped within the terroir concept. However, using conventional methods, viticulture also has harsh impacts on the soil, thus jeopardizing its sustainability. How long will the terroir expression remain unchanged as vineyard soil degradation goes on? While this question is difficult to answer because of the complex nature of terroirs, it is undeniable that conventional soil management practices in viticulture leave, in general, ample room for improvement, in their impact on vineyards as much as on the environment. In response, viticulture must adopt practices that enable the long-lasting preservation of its grounds for both on-farm and off-farm benefits. In this regard, the increase in the soil’s organic matter alongside the enhancement of the soil’s biological community are key because they benefit many other soil properties of a physical, chemical, and biological nature, thus determining the soil’s healthy functioning, where the vines may thrive for a long time, whereas its surroundings remain minimally disturbed. In the present review, the importance of soil health as it relates to vineyards is discussed, the soil degradation factors and processes that threaten winegrowing areas are presented, successful soil-health enhancement practices are shown, and future research trends are identified for the benefit of researchers and stakeholders in this special agricultural industry.

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Section: Soil Health Soil Quality and Soil Fertilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Health of Vineyard Soils: Towards a Sustainable Viticulture

Visconti,

López,

Olego

2024

Horticulturae

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“…We care about human health and we need to care about soil health as the two are intrinsically linked for example through food security and micronutrient provision (e.g., Platel and Srinivasan, 2016). The 'One Health Initiative' links soil health to plant, animal, human and planetary health (Ohno and Hettiarachchi, 2018). Poor soil health also hinders our attempts to meet the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Keestra et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Boosting soil literacy in schools can help improve understanding of soil/human health linkages in Generation Z

Johnson

Stone²,

Dominelli³

et al. 2023

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Soil health underpins ecosystem services like food security and therefore underpins human health. Poor soil health is a global problem which is hindering attempts to deliver the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. We focus on goals 3 (human health), 13 (climate change) which are intimately linked to goal 15 (soil health). Soil health is arguably most fragile in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where aged soils are characterised by poor nutrient and water holding capacity, and are largely deficient in micronutrients such as Zinc. Poor soil health coupled with the largely cereal-based diets can mean that micronutrient malnutrition is high in the region. In sub-Saharan Africa, where much of the population is too poor to purchase mineral supplements, poor soil health (SDG15) can therefore negatively impact on human health (SDG3). We surveyed 3661 school children aged 13–15 in three African countries, Ghana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, for their ‘Attitudes, Behaviours and Competencies’ of soil, which we termed ‘ABC’. The ‘ABC’ survey results showed significant soil illiteracy. The survey showed that although students were generally equipped with a good attitude to (overall 52% positive) and behaviour towards soil (overall 60% engagement), they had little competency as to how to improve soil health (overall 23% knowledge). For example, less than 35% of respondents across all countries know that soil is living. Less than 13% of students are aware of the important role of soil in climate change mitigation. We believe that these two knowledge gaps must be addressed for Generation Z to understand the important linkages between climate change, soil and human health. We propose a hands-on ‘ethics of care’ approach to engage society with soil, piggybacking on existing climate change educational resources by building terrariums with living soil can empower children to learn about soil, plant, human and planetary health. The future of food security depends on Generation Z having soil literacy. Our survey clearly shows that students who think farming is a good way to make money have significantly higher levels of overall soil literacy. We propose that the future of human health depends on soil literacy.

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