Team members from the Soil Association came to an event organised by Grantham Scholars to explain soil’s vital role in the global food system – and the risks we face as it continues to degrade.
Head of Horticulture Ben Raskin and Policy Officer Louise Payton from the Soil Association gave talks at the Grantham Centre’s Building UK Soils seminar.
Ben gave an overview of what makes healthy soil. And he described how soil is affected by agriculture and his work with farmers to preserve it.
Louise presented figures on global soil degradation. She also explained some of the problems that affect soil quality in the UK, such as flooding. She then talked about some of the campaigns the Soil Association is leading, including one about the impact of maize crops on British soil.
The talks were followed by a discussion, led by the event’s organisers Grantham Scholars Emanga Alobwede and Angesh Anupam.
Grantham Centre soil researchers come from across disciplines at the University of Sheffield to work on soil. From chemistry to social sciences, working all around the world, we have a diverse group of soil experts. All this builds on a long history of soil science at the Grantham Centre. Find out more Soil Research at the Grantham Centre.
Edited by Claire Moran. The main image shows Angesh Anupam, Louise Payton, Emanga Alobwede and Ben Raskin.