On December 5, we celebrate World Soil Day because soil is where food begins.

There are more organisms living in a tablespoon of soil than there are people on Earth. Besides living organisms, soil comprises minerals and organic matter that allow plant growth to feed humans and animals.

Soil needs a balance of nutrients to stay healthy, but improper care after successive agricultural cycles can lead to a loss of those nutrients and degrade the soil.

“Here in British Columbia, we have a diversity of soils that is reflected in the abundance of foods and flavours that can be produced in this region,” said the Pacific Regional Soil Science Society (PRSSS). “These regional differences are the source of cultural, economic, and environmental expression and pride.”

To defend food justice and ensure sustainability, we need to do our part to preserve soil, including recognizing the Indigenous peoples who have had reciprocal relationships with the land for millennia.

“British Columbia is located on many traditional and unceded territories which have been stewarded and nurtured by Indigenous peoples since time immemorial,” the PRSSS said.

“We acknowledge that colonial agriculture has interrupted Indigenous ways of being and disregarded Indigenous knowledge of the land and water. We support Indigenous Food Sovereignty and humbly listen to their calls for how to respect the ecosystems where we live and where most of our food comes from.”

On this World Soil Day, take a moment to think about what soil means to you and how you can protect the soils that feed us all.