Save Soil Movement By Sadhguru

Have you joined the Save Soil Movement By Sadhguru? Why do we need to save soil? What we can do to join the #SaveSoil movement?

We have heard about climate change. We have been approached to save our wildlife. Have you heard about pleas to save our soil? Enter the Save Soil Movement by Sadhguru. Many may ask how to preserve soil and whether it is indeed alive. Yes, the soil is actually a living, "breathing" creature, containing approximately eight billion bacteria in a fistful! Microbial activity in the soil provides nutrients to plants, which we obtain through the consumption of plant produce. What happens if bacteria vanish? Is it possible for humans to survive?

Why Do We Need To Save Our Soil?

Do you know that a staggering 87 per cent of life on this planet — microorganisms, worms, insects, birds, animals, humans, plants, trees, and all other types of vegetation – are sustained by an average of 39 inches of dirt? And that is gravely endangered at the moment. Over the previous four decades, 40% of the world's topsoil has been lost. That is why Save Soil Movement is so crucial right now!

According to the United Nations, we have enough soil left for around eighty to one hundred harvests, which equates to another 45 to 60 years of agriculture. After then, we will be unable to grow food due to a lack of soil. You can envision the suffering that will ensue in the world as a result of our actions. 30% of India's land is already damaged, and 90% of India's states are experiencing soil degradation. This means that nothing can be grown there. Thus, the primary objective should be to safeguard the soil for future generations of our region.

Sadhguru revealed in an interview with Trevor Noah of The Daily Show that 27,000 bacteria are becoming extinct each year as a result of industrial farming around the globe and a lack of organic matter replenishment in the soil. Should this worrying trend resumes, we will cease to have the ability to raise any food in 30-40 years! Think about it!

Watch Trevor Noah Interviewing Sadhguru

How did The Save Soil Movement Start?

The Save Soil Movement is a series of initiatives that sprang from a seed planted by Sadhguru 24 years ago. In 1998, some environmental organisations forecast that by 2025, 60% of Tamil Nadu - India's southernmost state – will be desert. However, what Sadhguru viewed and experienced exceeded the agencies' predictions. This prompted Sadhguru to establish a movement aimed at reviving the world's critically depleted soil, water, and agriculture.

Who is Sadhguru and Why is He Famous?

According to Wikipedia, Sadhguru’s real name is Jagadish "Jaggi" Vasudev. He was born on the 3rd of September 1957. Of course, he is better known as Sadhguru. He is an Indian yoga guru and spiritual advocate. Since the year 1982, he has been a yoga guru in southern India. He founded the Isha Foundation in Coimbatore in 1992, which manages an ashram and yoga centre and engages in educational activities. Vasudev is the author of a number of publications and a frequent speaker at international gatherings.

Interestingly, Sadhguru is ranked among India's fifty most powerful persons. To summarise, Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, visionary, and bestselling author in the New York Times. In 2017, the Government of India bestowed upon Sadhguru the Padma Vibhushan, the country's highest annual civilian award, for remarkable and distinguished service. His latest attempt to save humanity is his most noble job yet! Have you joined him in our Save Soil Movement yet?

What is Sadhguru Doing in Save Soil Movement?

Hence on the 6th of March 2022 (Sunday) while volunteers and residents of Isha shouted, sang, and applauded, Sadhguru, Founder-Isha Foundation, left the Isha Yoga Center to go on a solo motorbike tour covering 30,000 kilometres across 27 countries in 100 days as part of the global Movement to #SaveSoil. The 100-day journey will involve meetings with the leaders of all 27 nations, urging them to take immediate policy action to Save Soil in their respective countries. His main aim is to spread awareness about the importance of our precious soil which is depleting at an alarming rate.

Riding 30,000 km Across 27 Different Nations

Sadhguru asserted that the Save Soil Movement has been functioning for two years. He has spent the last eight months engaging with ministers and heads of nations to develop a global agreement for concerted action to rescue the world's soils. He described the feedback as "very good." Sadhguru stated that the Movement is attempting to establish a policy in 192 nations that require agricultural land to include a minimum of 3-6 per cent organic soil. This is our obligation to the next generation.

Sharing specifics about the Save Soil Movement's policy proposals, Sadhguru stated that they have developed policy documents tailored to each country's soil type, latitude, region, and agricultural traditions; as a result, we have written distinct policy documents for each nation.

192 Countries are Invited to Join the Save soil Movement

Sadhguru stated that his first stop following his departure from India will be the United States, where he will engage in media encounters to draw attention to the issue. He disclosed that "in the last 12 years, 50% of farmers in the United States have not earned a single dollar." The farming community has the highest suicide rate of any occupation in the United States." Sadhguru will subsequently fly to the Caribbean islands, where the Save Soil Movement is anticipated to sign memorandums of understanding with around 9 to 11 different governments.

Sadhguru will also address the 15th session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification's Convention of Parties (COP15) during his 100-day trek (UNCCD). He will address the international community of corporate, political, and social leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the preeminent global platform for public-private cooperation, to urge them to join the global fight to Save Soil. The month of May will see bot the event happening. If this trend continues, we will be unable The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World Food Programme (WFP) are just a few of the international organisations collaborating with the Save Soil Movement.

Why Soil Revitalisation Is Important?

Sadhguru had spoken at one of the United Nations offices in Germany, and they had asked him what three things we needed to do to avoid an ecological calamity. 'Soil, Soil, and Soil,' he responded. This is something that is being overlooked since it is fashionable in cities to discuss air pollution. However, if we take the appropriate steps to correct the soil, we will be able to take care of the water. If we are ready to make a small compromise in our economic zeal, we can eliminate air pollution in a relatively short period of time. However, if you go at it vigorously, it will take 15-25 years to repair the soil that you have harmed.

5 Crisis That Will Happen

1. Food Crisis

Food production for 9.3 billion people is predicted to be 40% lower in 20 years. Inadequate soil quality results in poor nutritional value. Today's fruits and vegetables have 90 per cent fewer nutrients. Nutritional inadequacies affect 2 billion individuals, causing a slew of ailments. By promoting the Save Soil Movement, we can prevent such catastrophes from happening.

2. Water Crisis

Depleted soils are incapable of absorbing and regulating water flow. Water scarcity, droughts, and floods are caused by a lack of water retention. Organic matter may hold up to 90% of its weight in water and slowly release it over time. This is extremely beneficial in drought-prone areas.

3. Destruction of Biodiversity

According to scientists, over 27000 species of life forms become extinct each year as a result of habitat loss. The catastrophe has decimated insect biomass to the point where 80 per cent of it has vanished. Biodiversity loss disturbs soil habitat and hinders soil renewal.

4. Climate Change

Carbon stored in soil is three times that of living plants and two times that of the atmosphere, implying that soil is critical for carbon sequestration. If the world's soils are not regenerated, they may emit 850 billion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. This amount is greater than the sum of all human emissions over the last 30 years.

5. Loss of Income

Thousands of farmers are committing suicide as a result of soil depletion. Land degradation directly affects 74 per cent of the world's poor. Soil extinction is expected to cost the globe up to US$ 10.6 trillion every year.

6. Migration and Conflict

Population increase, as well as food and water scarcity, may force more than a billion people to relocate to other areas and countries by 2050. Since 1990, land disputes have played a significant part in over 90% of major wars and conflicts in Africa. High food prices have been mentioned as a cause behind widespread protest movements ranging from the French Revolution to the Arab Spring.

If you don't care about it, it will take 40-50 years to get the soil to a certain level. Be warned that if the soil remains in poor condition for so long, it ultimately means that two to three generations will live in deplorable conditions. Who will be blamed by then? It's time for us to take action and we can do so by joining the Save Soil Movement. The following are the effective methods how we could save our soil as proposed by Sadhguru:

5 Ways To Revitalize Our Soil

1. Agroforestry AKA Agriculture Based on Trees

The phrase "forest produce" should be phased out of our lexicon. There is no such thing as forest produce because there isn't enough forest on the earth to utilise as food. That age is no longer in existence. You cannot discuss forest products in the future. We cannot develop a new rainforest because it would need millennia of effort. We can, however, build tree cover, and tree cover cannot be achieved unless we transition to tree-based agriculture. And, because farmers own a big portion of the land, trees will not be planted unless we make it profitable for them to do so.

After years of effort, the United Nations now clearly recognises that tree-based agriculture is a significant part of the solution. That is what we have been advocating for the past 22 years. And we now have over 107,000 farmers practising tree-based agriculture, demonstrating that it works on both ecological and economic levels.

2. Cut Down Meat In Our Diet

Over 77 per cent of the world's agricultural land, or approximately 40 million square kilometres, is utilised to raise livestock and their food. In comparison to other viable treatments, meat-eating is one of the simplest to reverse. If you cut your meat consumption by half, 20 million square kilometres of land will become available for tree-based agriculture on our planet.

If you plant that many trees, you can generate everything you obtain from the forest on agricultural land. Farmers will become wealthy, and you will improve the soil as well. In this case, you don't have to give up meat; simply consume half as much. All of the physicians advise you to do it. This isn't simply an environmental solution; it's a wellness solution for your life.

3. Eat More Fruits

This is a no-brainer, right? Answer this question: When someone is sick in the hospital,  you won't bring them steak or fried chickens, no? You eat the fruits. It is clear what the message is: "Eat sensibly, at least for now." That's not true, though. The person who takes it does not get it. In the past, travellers like Hiuen Tsang and Megasthenes saw that the Indians ate a lot of fruit, and they thought that might be why they were so smart. We are becoming dumb because we don't pay attention to what we eat.

If the food you eat has more than 75% water, your health will be very easy to take care of. Somewhere over 70% of the water in a raw vegetable comes from water. Over 90% of fruits are water. So that is the best way to eat. Most of our food should come from trees, not crops that grow for four months. People need to eat more fruit. Because we get our fruit from New Zealand, Australia, or Thailand, it costs a lot. If you grow tropical fruits in this area, they aren't very pricey.

4. Increase Organic Content in Soil

It is not uncommon for people to farm in the same area for hundreds of generations. However, the soil quality has deteriorated to the point where it is on the verge of becoming a desert in the last generation. If you wish to preserve the soil, it must have organic matter. However, our forests have been completely cleared and millions of animals have been removed from the country. This is not a herd of animals; this is our topsoil being transported to another country. How will you restore the soil if this occurs?

Nothing can be replaced if there are no leaves or animal faeces. This is common sense that every farming family possessed. They were aware of the minimum number of animals and trees required on a given plot of land. In India, there is a national aim established by the former Planning Commission that 33% of the country should be shaded because that is the only way to maintain the soil. And I'm attempting to get a law passed mandating that anybody who owns one hectare of land must have a minimum of five bovine cows on the property. There is one incredible aspect of this place for which we have scientific evidence but not scientific logic.

If you go to a good soil location in this country and collect one cubic metre of soil, it is estimated that there are roughly 10,000 species of life contained within that one cubic metre. This is the planet's maximum concentration of life. We have no idea why. Thus, this soil only requires a little assistance. If you provide that small amount of assistance, it will swiftly recover. However, as a generation, do we possess the necessary intelligence to provide that kind of support, or will we simply sit back and let it die?

With fertiliser and a tractor, you cannot maintain fertile soil. Animals are necessary for the land. Since ancient times, when we planted crops, we harvested only the crop; the remainder of the plant and animal waste was always returned to the soil. That wisdom appears to have been lost on us.

5. Build a Conscious Planet Together

Sadhguru has always wanted us to cultivate this planet earth that we are living on. If any other species had caused the same level of destruction to the world as we have, we would have discovered a means to cope with them. If billions of Martian locusts landed here and immediately began destroying all our trees, transforming our soil into deserts, and sucking the water out of our rivers, we would have annihilated them. However, the issue is not alien locusts. The issue is with us.

We can also be the source of the solution, as we are the source of the problem. We are only an issue because we are acting in an unconscious, compulsive manner. If we were cognizant, we would be a solution by default. This is why I've been collaborating with United Nations agencies and other organisations, as well as presenting the concept of a "Conscious Planet" movement.

There are 5.2 billion individuals who live in countries where they have the right to vote and pick their leaders. We are examining ways to mobilise at least three billion people so that ecological issues become the issues on which governments are elected. We aim to educate these three billion people about at least five ecological issues that must be addressed in their country, as well as two or three that must be avoided. If we accomplish this, the environment will become, if not the most important topic, at least the second most important one in election manifestos.

As a member of the Conscious Planet movement, I am attempting to raise attention to the most critical aspect of planet rejuvenation: the soil. Everything that we see as life on this planet — worms, insects, birds, mammals, plant life, and ourselves – originates from a mere thirty-nine inches of the soil profile. The actual damage is being done to this topsoil, which supports every known form of life. If we can assure that the soil is organically rich and healthy, the earth will be capable of self-regeneration, and we will be able to manage most of the other issues.

At the moment, almost 95% of the world's population is completely unaware of the ecological crisis unfolding around them. Ecological awareness is limited to a small part of the population, and even among them, the concept of ecology is mostly limited to conserving water in the shower or turning off the faucet when brushing teeth. While it is admirable that people are aware of their consumption, this is not a total ecological answer. Only when ecology becomes a political problem will it become official policy, and only then will sufficient funding be committed to make solutions a reality.

How We Can Help To Save Our Soil?

This movement is all about spreading awareness and getting more people interested. As Sadhguru advised, for 100 days we should talk about conserving soil. Those hundred days he travels and meets world leaders to have the subject inscribed into official laws, we have simply a modest task of communicating about #SaveSoil. A post every day on social media is enough to do your part. For more information, head over to Conscious Planet's official website. I have joined one of the Earth Buddies to save our dying soil. How about you?