The Silent Crisis Beneath Our Feet: A Global Soil Emergency

Soil is the foundation of terrestrial life, sustaining agriculture, filtering water, storing carbon, and supporting biodiversity. Yet, according to a comprehensive global review by Smith et al. [2], the world’s soils are facing a silent but accelerating crisis. Approximately one-third of global soils are moderately to highly degraded, and in most regions, the situation is worsening rather than improving.