There are plenty of reasons to go organic that millions of people are discovering and re-discovering every day, ranging from less toxic chemicals in their food to more antioxidants.

But one aspect of the benefits of organic (read: truly sustainable) agriculture is that it helps preserve and replenish the soil over time in ways that “conventional farming” can’t match.

In fact, the over-reliance on such “conventional” methods is actually a contributing factor to the ongoing depletion of our soil. 

According to a new video (see the bottom of this article), released by the Food and Agriculture Association of the United Nations, “unhealthy agriculture practices” are just one of the reasons why our topsoil is vanishing.

In total, 2 hectares of (or 4.94 acres) of soils are being sealed under expanding cities every minute worldwide.

Healthy soil is needed to recycle nutrients, store and filter water, sequester carbon emissions, and to protect people and cities against floods, while also helping to produce a quarter of the planet’s biodiversity.

Our soil health is often overlooked but going organic is an excellent way to help.

World Soil Day 2014 Approaching

World Soil Day 2014 will take place on Dec. 5, 2014, leading into the much-needed International Year of Soils 2015.

The day was created in 2002 to “celebrate the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to human well-being.”

You can check out the objectives of the International Year of Soils 2015 by clicking on the Global Soil Partnership’s web page here. You can also learn more about World Soil Day here. 

The UN has been a strong supporter of reverting back to natural farming methods in recent years. 

A UN Report titled ‘Wake Up Before It’s Too Late,’ released in 2013, came to the conclusion that small-scale organic farming is the best way to “feed the world,” in stark contrast with the stated goals of Monsanto and other genetically modified seed and agrochemical companies, whose products have been blamed for contributing to soil erosion.

On World Soil Day 2014 it was revealed that about 15% of the world’s soil area had been last in just 40 years of farming.

And that’s why raising awareness and going organic is so important for the future, many analysts are saying. 

For more info on World Soil Day 2014 (and why soil conservation and building is so crucial right now) you can check out the video below.