December 5th is World Soil Day

World Soil Day aims to raise global awareness of the immense importance of soil ecosystems. And with good reason: soil is a vital foundation for people, animals, and plants. It is also indispensable for food supply, climate protection, and biodiversity.

59% of all known species on Earth live in the soil. In a handful of earth, there are more organisms than there are humans on the entire planet! From tiny microorganisms and unicellular organisms to six-legged creatures, woodlice, worms, and even small mammals like moles, soil hosts an almost infinite variety of life. Nowhere is biodiversity greater than in the soil.

The composition of soils and the regional climate determine which types of plants can grow in a given area. Soil-dwelling organisms loosen the soil and contribute to humus formation. Additionally, soil has a cleansing function: contaminants absorbed by it are largely broken down by microorganisms. Soil plays a crucial role in water storage. This ability reduces surface runoff during prolonged rain or heavy rainfall, delaying the flow into nearby streams or rivers and mitigating the risk of flooding. Rainwater filters through the soil into groundwater, raising the water table and expanding our drinking water reserves. After the oceans, soil is the largest carbon reservoir on Earth. It stores more CO2 than all the world's forests combined. An additional 2-5 billion tons of carbon could be sequestered through sustainable soil management, making soil a critical factor in combating climate change.

Through soil erosion, soil acidification, compaction, and chemical contamination, we lose up to 10 million hectares of soil globally each year. This jeopardises climate mitigation, biodiversity, and food security. Habitats for plants and animals are threatened, and greenhouse gas emissions are rising.

For Weleda, a pioneer in sustainability, looking forward has always meant looking down as well. We prioritise not only the quality of the raw materials we use but also how they are cultivated. For over 100 years, we have grown many of the plants used in our products using soil-friendly methods. We ensure soil health and preserve biodiversity by applying the principles of biodynamic farming. This is evident in Weleda's medicinal plant gardens around the world: they are areas of immense biodiversity. Globally, Weleda has supported sustainable soil projects for years to take a stand against the soil crisis. We must rehabilitate degraded soils because protecting the soil is key to safeguarding our own foundation for life.