Address the lack of organic content in Malaysian soil
Published on: Sunday, May 22, 2022
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Credit: gardeningknowhow.com
The four-letter-word that is not offensive but has been abused, totally taken for granted for generations, “raped” repeatedly and shoved into the blindspot of world organisations hunting for solutions for global socio-economic-health issues. It is time S-O-I-L is treated right, right here and from now.
The global Save Soil movement which began on 21st March 2022 has brought attention to the urgent need to address the lack of organic content in soil globally as well as in this nation.
This movement has caused many leaders of nations (including Malaysia), agriculture ministries respective environment division heads to receive letter from their own people as well as from global population in support of enaction of policy to increase soil organic content.
There is an urgent need to enact soil policy to increase agriculture soil organic content. The Soil Use and Management, 2008 states that 53pc of Malaysia soil had degraded between 1981 and 2003.
Malaysian soil organic content is less than the minimal amount required which is (3-6)pc. Increasing the organic content is not expensive. Testing the organic content takes only minutes and is not expensive. Malaysia even has agricultural experts who can play a significant role in the enaction of soil policy. The reponsibility of increasing soil organic content cannot be left totally to farmers. There has to be a national policy to ensure enforcement through incentives for farmers eg. bank loan flexibilities, labelling of organic content in agricultural produce, etc.
Revitalizing soil has to happen now, other wise it will take more than 100 years if remedial actions are started later on.
Benefits of increasing soil organic content includes more agriculture production, increased nutritional value in agricultural produce, less usage of water and nil to reduced dependency on chemical fertilisers.
According to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN 2020), increasing soil organic carbon by just 0. 4 pc would increase major food crops by (20-40)pc.
Revitalisation of soil can encourage more people to go into the agricultural sectors, prevent farmer suicides, reduce import of food, increase agriculture export, increase biodiversity, prevent floods, improve climate change effects, address world hunger,etc. The benefits are just too many.
Initiating the enactment of soil revitalisation policies can be done by any ministry as the issue of soil encompasses all ministries including the Health Ministry. The quality of agricultural produce has a role in population nutrition.
Floods, drought and starvation affect the health of the population. Members of Parliament can also can also be the voice for the peoples’ well being. Soil is everybody’s reponsibility.
The Australian Prime Minister besides other world leaders have been very welcoming and reponsive towards the plea by its people and letters all over the world to enact soil policy.
Similar if not more positive response is expected from leaders of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) which are yet to mention anything much on soil policy. Asean need to be proactive in addressing issues independently instead of waiting for larger nations or Western nations to set the track or initiate policies.
Enacting soil policy to increase organic content in soil is the need of the minute (NOTE : No more the need of the hour). The nation’s soil is running out of time which means the people and their children are short of time too.
As a Malaysian, my general election vote will depend strongly on leaders who support and play a role in enacting a soil policy for the nation as soon as possible. The sooner Malaysian leaders and the people act, the earlier we get to reap the benefits and prevent a national disaster which is just around the corner. The beauty of soil is not in its independence alone but in its integrity and richness as well. Soil and its people are not different. People are reflection of the soil.
I appeal to the leaders, the soil experts and the people to save soil by voicing and showing their support as their elected representatives enact a national policy to increase soil organic content and address soil degradation. There is no way humans can possibly outlive soil. Soil is dying. And, so are the people.
Please help – Save Soil !
- The views expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Express.
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