Opinion article by Ana Sofia Sousa, PhD student at the Faculty of Biotechnology and researcher at the Center for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry.
Soil has always been seen as nature's invisible relative: the one we only remember on birthdays and Christmases. Metaphorically speaking, we reflect on the often unconscious and selfish interest associated with these events, the view we had of soil, seen as a source of nutrients and the basis for cultivation, buildings and the physical support of life, but never as a focus for preservation and attention.
The Industrial Revolution of the 18th century and the associated intensification of agri-food practices added another important aspect to the role of soil - the power to drive the world economy. Excessive chemical fertilization, the cultivation of a single species without rotation, the lack of soil cover and widespread deforestation to create pastures were and are motivated by careless food production. However, the infertility of agricultural land, desertification and aridity exacerbated by increasingly extreme and frequent climatic events, and awareness of the food needs of an expanding population mark a turning point that also looks at soil in a new light. The multiple combinations of physical, chemical and biological factors make soil a unique and singular matrix, and in-depth knowledge of it is necessary for proper management and informed decision-making.
