Asian countries like the Philippines largely depend on their cropland for production and food security. Rice is the staple food in the region, which is home to a number of the world’s major rice exporters—India, Vietnam and Thailand. Asia produces about 90 percent of the world’s rice and is also a major producer of food items like wheat, corn, soybeans, and fruits.
Farmers depend on fertile land to produce about 95 percent of the food we eat, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Despite the fact that soil is the foundation of agriculture, the specialized agency of the United Nations said our soils are at risk. FAO noted that over 833 million hectares of soils worldwide are already salt-affected.
Improper water management, including insufficient supply and poor quality drainage systems, are contributing to excessive soil salinization, FAO said. Soil salinization refers to excessive levels of salt in the soil, which can inhibit plant growth and even become toxic to life. It can occur naturally, for example in deserts due to lack of water and intense evaporation, or as a consequence of human activity.
FAO recently launched its “Global Soil Laboratory Assessment Report” that highlighted the challenges in generating reliable soil data. A joint effort by 241 laboratories in 142 countries, it is led by FAO’s Global Soil Partnership and its Global Soil Laboratory Network composed of more than 760 laboratories worldwide. The report revealed that 55 percent of countries surveyed lacked adequate analytical capacities, including human resources, harmonization procedures and equipment.
The Philippines is one of the countries that have no sufficient soil laboratory services to cover the national demand in soil analysis. While staff members of local laboratories providing soil analysis have a university degree, they are “rarely or not sufficiently trained,” according to the report.
The country hopes to remedy this via the P523.57-million national soil health program, which was approved by the President in June (See, “Govt to hike crops production via P523.57-million soil health program,” in the BusinessMirror, June 10, 2021). The four major components of NSHP are: institutionalization of national soil monitoring and rejuvenation program; establish mobile soils laboratory to monitor soil health; strengthening partnerships with relevant agencies and organizations to sustain food security; and improving soil analysis for macro- and micro-nutrients, and the development of manuals on the use of physical and biological parameters as indicators of soil health.
The chief aims of NSHP are the adoption of a national soil database and monitoring system to rejuvenate degraded soils, acquisition of equipment, upgrade of laboratories and training of technical staff. Establishing a national database will allow policymakers to craft suitable interventions that would prevent soil degradation and ensure sustainable soil management.
FAO warned that inaction in maintaining and restoring soil health could threaten food security. The next set of officials must not abandon NSHP as this will have serious consequences for the country’s food production. Fortifying soils—the foundation of agriculture—is crucial as this would enable the sector to produce enough food to adequately feed the nation.