Soil
Our Lifeline
At The Herbalist Bells Beach, we are dedicated to supporting the use of organic farming methods that protect the integral ecosystems within the soil's natural biodiversity. By consciously selecting clean and naturally grown botanical extracts, we honor nature and recognize her irreplaceable lifeline.
Healthy soil plays a crucial role in facilitating plant decomposition, maintaining diversity, retaining nutrients, and promoting recycling. Organic soil not only enhances plant and insect health but also serves as a defense against soil erosion and shields against pollutants that could harm our waterways and oceans through chemical runoffs.
Above all, soil carbon sequestration holds immense importance in maintaining the delicate balance of greenhouse gas emissions. It is through these sustainable practices that we strive to preserve the harmony between nature and our planet's well-being.
Conserving healthy soils
Globally, soil biodiversity has been estimated to contribute between US$1.5 and 13 trillion annually to the value of ecosystems services – the goods and services provided by healthy ecosystems, including the provision of food, hydrological services and regulation of climate.
Food and water security
Biodiverse soil organisms regulate nutrient availability and uptake of nutrients by plants, maintain soil structure, and regulate hydrological processes. The loss of healthy soils reduces agricultural yields and could result in a food production shortfall of 25% by 2050. It is estimated that increasing soil biodiversity could contribute up to 2.3 billion tonnes of additional crop production per year, valued at US$1.4 trillion.
Climate change mitigation
Soil biodiversity represents one of the largest carbon stocks on our earth, and therefore plays a major role in mitigating climate change. It is estimated that there is more carbon stored in soils than the total carbon in both the atmosphere and above-ground vegetation. When soil is eroded, the carbon in soils is lost in the form of greenhouse gasses (GHGs), contributing to climate change. Increasing soil biodiversity could provide at least half of emissions reductions needed to limit the global average temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels as set by the Paris Agreement.
Reference:
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature. Peter Laban, Graciela Metternicht, and Jonathan Davies, 2018. Soil Biodiversity and Soil Organic Carbon: keeping drylands alive. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. viii + 24p. Accessed 24 April,2022. https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2018-004-En.pdf
