He is unlike any mystic or yogi in the world. He plays golf and rides a motorbike. But for Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, creating awareness about the declining quality of the world’s soil is paramount.
Sadhguru, who has millions of followers across the globe, has travelled to the United Arab Emirates to implore world leaders to take the climate crisis more seriously and channel more resources and funds into land regeneration.
WATCH: Sadhguru on saving soil
Soil by numbers
“Soil is the habitat upon which millions of lifeforms thrive on planet Earth. Once there is no richness in soil, then you have forsaken the planet in many ways, ” says Sadhguru.
According to the mystic, humanity only has 80 – 100 harvests left, meaning there are only 40-50 years of agricultural land left. “By 2045, we will be producing 40% less food than now, and we will have reached 9.3 billion people.”
Sadhguru has warned that future food shortages will see the start of more wars across the world. “What we are seeing now is soil extinction.”
What is happening?
When you add organic material to sand, it becomes soil. Conversely, stripping the soil of its organic components leads to sand.
“In normal agricultural soil, the minimum organic content should be between 3-6%. The bare minimum is 3%, and that is just to keep the soil alive.”
“In most countries, more than 50% of the topsoil is gone in the last 100 years,” he added.
More alarming is the declining levels of micro-nutrients in the ground and the food we produce. The nutrient content has dropped by about 90% since the early 1920’s.
In short, you would have to eat eight oranges today to reach the same nutrient level as a single orange in 1920.
“The microbial life in the first 12-15 inches of topsoil is the basis of our existence. It is this magic beneath our feet that has produced the life that we are.”
Sadhguru.
Sadhguru is part of high-level meetings and special events, the organisation will be holding talks at the COP28 Save Soil Pavilion with leading experts.
Global reach
The movement, which has received a resounding response, has touched over 3.91 billion people, with 81 nations agreeing to act to save the ground beneath us.
At the United Nations Climate Summit (COP 27), the campaign was featured in the G20 Global Land Initiative Panel discussion as one of the promising
global initiatives that can contribute to the G20’s aspiration of reducing degraded lands by 50% by 2040.
The movement aims to address the dirt crisis by bringing people together worldwide to stand up for the soil and supporting leaders of all nations to institute national policies and actions.
Sadhguru’s work on health, well-being, and the environment has earned him several awards, including the Padma Vibhushan, one of India’s top civilian honours.
He has been riding his motorcycle worldwide to meet with policymakers, scientists, and farmers to encourage them to prioritise soil regeneration.
The movement has resulted in a 300%-800% increase in farmers’ incomes, and the farmers in the region have begun to realise the financial and ecological benefits.
