World Soil Day at the Humber Arboretum

Today is December 5th and that means it is World Soil Day! World Soil Day is a day meant to focus on the importance of healthy soil and all the good things that can come from it. This year, the theme is “Soil: Where Food Begins”, focusing on how soil impacts our food system.

The Importance of Soil

Did you know that 95% of food production comes from soil? This is why soil is an integral part of our food system. Much of the nutrients in our food comes from the soil, so healthy soil means healthier foods full of nutrients. Unfortunately, about 33% of our global soils are currently degraded. Things such as overusing fertilizers and pesticides can disrupt the balance of soil, reducing its nutrients and degrading its quality. Degraded soil is less likely to yield crops and more vulnerable to erosion, so saving the health of our soils is essential to saving the health of us.

Soil at Humber College

The Humber Food Learning Garden is a demonstration garden and outdoor classroom located behind the Humber College Residence Buildings on the Humber Arboretum grounds. Many vegetables and herbs are grown here and are used in the dishes at the Humber Room, which is Humber College’s student-led restaurant. Raised beds are used in the garden to ensure clean healthy soil for everything that is grown. At Humber College, we realize the difference that healthy soil can make, and strive to include that on our campus.

What You Can Do

So what can you do to help maintain the quality of soil? Just like how the living organisms in soil are so tiny but powerful, you can make some small changes which will help to create big impacts in promoting healthy soil. If you have a garden, you can start composting and adding that organic matter to your soil. You can also start watching and reducing the amount of fertilizers and pesticides you use on your lawn. Lastly, you can use this day as a starting point to talk about the importance of soil in food production. The importance of soil is not just limited to this day, as it is an integral part of our every day lives. So keep spreading the word and helping to protect our soils.

By Nicole Carbone, Campaign Planner and Communications Support intern, Humber Arboretum