Jaume PortaJaume Porta, President of the Spanish Society of Soil Science.

The 95 percent of food consumed in the world come from the ground, according to the Spanish Society of Soil Science (SECS), which warns that the loss of fertility and soil erosion can cause a problem of global food security, therefore calls for concrete measures and actions to curb the problem.

On the occasion of the declaration by the UN 2015 International Year of Soils, President SECS, Jaume Porta, He explained that each year around the world loses an area equivalent to Costa Rica floor (Slightly more than half of Castilla y León), so it has reclaimed its society and individual contributions.

“Every little individual action leads us to sustainability or collective degradation”, has manifested. Porta has pointed out that the objectives of the Society –founded in 1947– They aim to disseminate and educate the public on the crucial role it plays in food security soil, adaptation and mitigation to climate change, essential ecosystem services, the fight against poverty and sustainable development.

In this context, stressed that the 25 percent of the world's biodiversity is found in soil, which it is the basis for maintaining vegetation, from forests to crops, medicines or fuels and, at animal level, ES “essential” also for wild and domestic biodiversity.

“Inside are millions of organisms that perform vital functions such as decomposition of plant debris and toxic elements, absorption of atmospheric constituents, carbon regulation or water cycles”, He has advocated.

Among the main human threats to soil, former director of the University of Lérida has referred to physical and chemical degradation, salinization, pollution, water erosion and, sealing or asphalting, and chemical degradation, physical and biological.

THE END OF PRODUCTIVITY

In particular, he pointed out that according to FAO data, of the 230 million hectares of irrigated land in the world, 45 million, ie 19,5 percent are affected by salinity problems and 25 percent are already salinized soils and produce and, globally, the 33 percent of the soils are already degraded.

In addition, He has warned that those who pay the price of the loss of soil fertility are farmers, at the same time they have a “Big responsibility” when to reverse the situation, eventually it will go to their own advantage, therefore considers that they should not wait for the State resolve it.

It has also deplored the “silent permissiveness” against degradation of soils is because there is a wide span of time from the beginning of degradation and perception of the problem when its effects are evident.

Porta explained, However, there are various proposals to avoid degradation. The first is to increase the concern of society for sustainable development, promote preventive measures with a holistic approach, protecting the quality of natural resources.

Among other measures proposed scientific society are grass covering the ground to gain organic matter in the soil and promote plant cover; terracing and terraces in farmland; cover the lack of legislative and control them. “You can cultivate the soil and maintain biodiversity with sustainable uses”, He has encouraged.

Porta has indicated that in planning is not proposing to use new land for agriculture or for new homes, but renovate existing in soil is already sealed or constructed buildings, highways, airports or railway.

WITHOUT GOVERNMENT NEWS

Despite the “transcendence” the question, SECS president has denounced that has never received a single query on the ground by the government or autonomous communities. In fact, He has said that there is an agency in Spain to study specific soil data.

In this context, Vice President of the SECS, Jorge Mataix, He has complained that in Spain there is no soil map, a project that is necessary to know the extent of erosion in Spain.

In his view, This requires that the State Budget allocated an item for this purpose, given the high cost of the project which could amount to some 2.400 million scale map 1: 25.000 or 618,45 million for a map 1:50.000.

In this regard, has lamented the lack of political awareness of the issue because “It is not perceived as a problem”. Mataix has stated that at present the autonomous communities more “outposts” in this area are Navarra and, then, Galicia y Cataluña.

The first two have developed a scale map 1:50.000of its soil and Catalonia has achieved a scale map 1:25.000. In this context he added that the 50 percent of the countries of the European Union has a scale map 1: 50.000 and that the United States has a scale map 1: 22.000

ACTIVITIES

As part of its objectives, the Spanish Society of Soil Science has scheduled a score of activities “without support” by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and environment, which include a commemorative postage stamp, a coupon of ONCE and other State Lotteries with illustrations on the ground.

Equally, Vice President of the company has highlighted some outreach actions and exhibitions to be displayed in 40 Spanish universities, secondary schools and other institutions; the development of a White Paper soil science at universities and other soil treatment on the books in primary and secondary; the issue of a comic; Disclosure days; an international photo contest; workshops, and a series of conferences to be held in collaboration with the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC).

The program is available on the website of the SECS.