Humus Ambassadors

Who are we?

Humus Ambassadors is SEFE's new educational project to raise awareness on the role of soil in storing carbon, mitigating climate change, and protecting biodiversity.

We help to educate children and adults on the benefits of caring for soils in their gardens, in the agriculture and forestry sectors, and on Earth more broadly.

The aim of Humus Ambassadors is to make soil educational widely and freely available.

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Why are soils important?

Soils can be seen as a "life support system".
Soils are the home to earthworms and micro-organisms.
- Earthworms and micro-organisms fix nitrogen and decompose organic matter, which is essential for the life cycle of plants.
Soils provide essential services. The degradation of soils means there is a loss of these services.
- According to the European Commission, the loss of services due to soil degradation within the EU is estimated to cost over €50 billion annually.

Can we produce food without healthy soils?

Soils store nutrients and anchor the roots of planets. This allows them to provide us with food and medicine.
According the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, 95% of our food is grown in topsoil.
- Fruits, vegetables, basic grains, nuts, sugar, and oilseeds rely directly on soils to grow.
- The production of meat, eggs, dairy products, and other livestock products are made possible through animal feeds. These feeds grow in soils.

How do soils protect biodiversity?

According to the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, 59% of species require soil to survive.
Soils are the "world’s most species-rich habitat".
- In a handful of soil, you can find more living organisms than there are people on the planet.
Soils are vital habitats for biodiversity.
- More than half of the species on Earth live in soils.
  - 90% of fungi are estimated to be at home in soils.
  - 85% of plants are estimated to be at home in soils.
  - Over 50% of bacteria are estimated to be at home in soils.

Can healthy soils protect us from flooding?

Soils hold water.
Healthy soils can protect us from flooding.

What role do soils play for the climate?

Soils store large amounts of carbon dioxide.
- Soil can store three times the amount of the carbon dioxide stored in the atmosphere.
- Soil can store twice the amount of of the carbon dioxide found in all plants and trees on Earth.

Are our soils healthy in Europe?

According to the European Commission, over 60% of European soils are unhealthy.
The European Commission also estimates that there are 2.8 million potentially contaminated sites in the European Union.

Why are our soils unhealthy?

Overexploitation, contamination, and unsustainable management of land degrade soils.
- Erosion, which is the wearing away of the upper layer of soil, is a large issue.
- The salinisation, so the increased salt content of soil, also poses a considerable threat to soil.
Land and soil use effect the health of soils.
- The compaction, or pressing together of soil particles in a way that reduces the pore space, reduces soils ability to store water.
- The large-scale sealing of soils — by covering them up with roads, housing, and other structures — is also problematic.
The loss of soil organic matter and soil biodiversity are key concerns when protecting soils.
Climate change and extreme weather events (such as floods and landslides) also degrade soils.

What ecosystem services do soils provide?

Food & animal feed
Timber & fibre
Nutrient cycling
Pest control
Water regulation
Carbon sequestration
Raw materials

What does the law say about soils?

Soils do not currently have the same level of legal protection as air and water do in the European Union (EU).
The EU has recently proposed a new law to protect and restore soils, called the "Soil Monitoring Law".
- The law's objective is to protect and restore all soils so that they will be in a "healthy condition" by 2050.
- It is also planned that additional policies, plans, and programs on sustainable soil management will be set up in the EU.
The first step planned under the "Soil Monitoring Law" is for all EU Member States to monitor and assess the health of all their soils.
- EU Member States will have to identify and map all potentially contaminated sites.
- This information will have to be shared on a publicly accessible platform or register.
EU Member States will have to investigate contaminated sites.
- Any "unacceptable risks for human health and the environment" will have to be addressed.
- In line with the so-called "polluter pays principle", the costs for the soil cleanup will need to be paid by the ones responsible for the soil contamination.
- Through the soil cleanup, the EU hopes to take active steps towards a toxic-free environment by 2050.