Lancaster soil scientists celebrate World Soil Day with a series of blogs that dig into the many connections between soil and food - including some of their favourite recipes.
"Soil is a 5 trillion dollar food factory," writes Professor John Quinton, in the first of 10 blogs written by members of the Lancaster University Sustainable Soils Group.
No soil means no food, so Professor Quinton sets out ways to protect this precious medium on which we all depend for sustenance.
But soil does much more. It also holds water, protecting us from floods, and absorbs carbon, helping to regulate the climate. The wonders of soil and the dangers it faces are covered in the blog series, which are inspired by the research being carried out by the Group.
Subjects range from urban food growing in the UK and beyond, to grassland restoration in Kenya and methane release in the Amazon rainforest. The blogs, which include contributions from Masters and PhD researchers, cover challenges such as how to prevent soil erosion, reduce plastic pollution and improve productivity without adding excess fertiliser. A blog has been published daily in the run up to World Soil Day today (5 December), which this year focuses on food.
To add a bit of extra flavour, each author has included a recipe that connects their research to the plate - from Mississippi mud pie to Japanese sushi. Get reading and cooking.
You can find all the Soil blogs here.
