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Soil Biodiversity and Human Health A healthy soil is a biodiverse soil. Soil biodiversity (the level of organic matter) has been significantly impacted by climate change and unsustainable agricultural practices. This decrease in soil biodiversity leads to fewer healthy microbes and has been shown to affect human health. 
Eliminating harmful chemicals in agricultural practices will help preserve biodiversity in soils and help us create a better environment for plants, animals and humans. Here are a few ways human’s benefit from a more healthful soil. An Enhanced Immune System When humans consume crops that were grown in biodiverse soil, they consume a large variety of microbes. These microbes are good for human gut health and often have anti-inflammatory properties. Studies also show that increased exposure to a variety of microbes may increase one’s ability to fight off allergies. When comparing farms that organically maintain their biodiverse soils with industrialized and manufactured farms, it was found that organic farming practices led to people developing a higher tolerance to many allergens. Healthier Diets When there is more biodiversity in the soil there is increased nutrition levels in our food. A human body performs best when we eat a variety of different fruits and vegetables – and a balanced diet starts the moment we choose which crops to grow. Humans on average eat a significantly less diverse vegetable diet compared to past generations. It is important that the few vegetables that are eaten contain a variety of nutrients that will benefit the body without losing their nutritional value. Ultimately, growing different types of produce that are rich in nutrients is only possible if we protect the soil that they grow on. Soil Microbes Create Medicine for Humans Human health also benefits from soil biodiversity when soil microbes are used to create antibiotics. If we lose certain strains of microbes, we lose access to potential medicines, drugs, and vaccines we may desperately need. When we eat fruits and vegetables, we get nutrients that serve as a natural medicine over time. The more soil depletion, the less nutrients humans will have to fight disease, making the overall population more susceptible. A Reduction in World Hunger World hunger is often a result of bad soil conditions. When all field plants have the same composition and a low variety of microbes in them, there is a chance that none of the existing microbes can stop plant disease from spreading throughout and destroying entire crops. When there is more soil diversity, some plants and crops will contain the necessary microbes to fight the spreading infection. Over time, with rich microbe soils, all plants can develop a resistance to common diseases. In order to end food insecurity and malnutrition, biodiverse soils could help us tackle this global issue by providing more nutritious crops which would improve human health at a large scale. In addition, diseases that stem from lack of nutrition and from eating unclean or diseased foods would also be prevented with more soil biodiversity. In conclusion, soil biodiversity and human health are extremely related. It provides enhanced immunity, increases nutrition through a diverse diet, helps us create valuable medicine, and contributes to a reduction in world hunger. Soil diversity is not just an environmental issue but also a human health issue – you cannot talk about one without the other. |
