Legarda calls for soil protection

CEBU, Philippines – Senator Loren Legarda is calling for a collective action for sustainable land use and protection of soil to stop and reverse land degradation.

Legarda made the call yesterday in observance of the World Soil Day.

The senator said that the celebration is not only an excellent opportunity to highlight the importance of soil but also serves as warning for the people that soil degradation is a rapidly increasing problem all over the world.

Legarda, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, said that people often take soil for granted without realizing the importance of this non-renewable resource.

“Without healthy soils, there would be no life because it is the foundation for food, animal feed, fuel and medicine. Hence, we need to develop and adopt good farming practices essential for mitigating soil degradation,” she said.

She said that around 33 million hectares or 45 percent of arable lands in the country are affected by soil degradation making them unsustainable and less productive.

To address the situation, Legarda filed Senate Bill No. 337 or the Soil and Water Conservation Act, which aims to promote soil and water conservation technologies and approaches for sustainable land management.

Legarda warned that the current land degradation is likely to contribute to widespread and severe poverty in the rural areas.

She further said that the degradation of soil in farmlands will eventually lead to lower agricultural output despite the application of modern farming practices which will affect not only the livelihood of the farmers but the country’s food supply as well. —/FPL (FREEMAN)