According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO),  over 33% of the Earth’s soils are already degraded. But why is this significant?

The human race is dependent on soil for food, so degradation has a direct impact on crop yields, and can ultimate provoke a state of famine.

Soil also plays an important environmental role, contributing to water quality, securing energy and mitigating biodiversity loss.

Today marks the United Nations’ #WorldSoilDay, to highlight the importance of sustaining healthy soils to nurture our planet.

Through the Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), research is ongoing to improve soil quality in agricultural communities where degradation is prevalent, using new biomass processing.

Read more about the project here.