Abstract
Soils play a critical role in the production of food and feed for a growing global population. Here, we review global patterns in soil characteristics, agricultural production and the fate of embedded soil nutrients. Nitrogen- and organic-rich soils supported the highest crop yields, yet the efficiency of nutrient utilization was concentrated in regions with lower crop productivity and lower rates of chemical fertilizer inputs. Globally, soil resources were concentrated in animal feed, resulting in large inefficiencies in nutrient utilization and losses from the food system. Intercontinental transport of soil-derived nutrients displaced millions of tonnes of nitrogen and phosphorus annually, much of which was ultimately concentrated in urban waste streams. Approximately 40% of the global agricultural land area was in small farms providing over 50% of the world's food and feed needs but yield gaps and economic constraints limit the ability to intensify production on these lands. To better use and protect soil resources in the global food system, policies and actions should encourage shifts to more nutrient-efficient diets, strategic intensification and technological improvement, restoration and maintenance of soil fertility and stability, and enhanced resilience in the face of global change.This article is part of the theme issue ‘The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People’.
Highlights
In the most fundamental sense, soils are the basis for life on the Earth
Soils contribute to the composition of the atmosphere, and by association impact climate, and are both a significant source and sink of greenhouse gases [4,5]
For over 100 000 years, soils have been indirectly managed for food and feed production through hunting and gathering [7]
Summary
In the most fundamental sense, soils are the basis for life on the Earth. Soils are the pedestal that plants rely on to remain erect. Some of the soil nutrients tied up in agricultural products and transported via national and international trade will be immobilized in local biomass for years to decades. Nutrients imported via food and feed that end up in the waste stream are rarely applied to depleted soils. Instead, these nutrients tend to concentrate in urban areas where they contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, eutrophication and other forms of pollution [16,20]. We use recent data on a subset of important agricultural products (maize, wheat, rice, soy and beef) and associated N and P concentrations to explore patterns in the production and transport of food, feed and associate nutrients via international trade. We discuss emerging challenges to agricultural soil systems and review proposed solutions for the future
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