The Impact of Climate and Erosion on The Quality of Soil and Therefore Food Security

Both climate and erosion have been linked to affecting the quality of soil which leads to an impact on food security.

In terms of agriculture, climate change will affect crop production because changes in the soil, air temperature and rainfall all affect the ability of crops to reach maturity and their potential harvest. As the climate warms, reduction in the amount of water available may be initially made up by irrigation, however the scarcity of water may prevent water from being used for irrigation. This increases damage to the land, or land degradation, which will occur in the form of soil erosion, desertification, salinization or loss of peat soils. This further impacts the capability of the soils to support the needs for agriculture. As the climate changes, so will the soil's ability to support current ecosystems - this will lead to changes in the communities of plants growing in different parts of the world. For example, in certain places plants suited to wetter conditions may lose out to plants able to cope with drier conditions.

Similarly, soil erosion will have an impact on the quality of the soil. Soil erosion is defined as the wearing away of the top layer of soil (topsoil). It is the most fertile layer of soil because it contains the most organic, nutrient-rich materials. It’s this layer that farmers want to protect for growing their crops and for their animals to graze on. Soil is eroded by both water and wind. Rain and rainwater runoff, in particular heavy rain, causes the water to break down the soil, dispersing the materials it is made of. Secondly farming, when the land is worked through crops or other agricultural processes, it reduces the overall structure of the soil, in addition to reducing the levels of organic matter, making it more susceptible to the effects of rain and water. The slope of the land and lack of vegetation can also have a big impact on the soil, land with high slopes will perpetuate the process of rainwater and runoff saturation in the area. The plants and crops help to maintain the structure of soils, reducing the amount of soil erosion, areas with less naturally-occurring vegetation may contribute to the soil being more prone to erosion. Lastly wind can be a major factor in reducing soil quality and promotion erosion, particularly if the soil’s structure has already been loosened.

The biggest effect of soil erosion is the loss of topsoil, with topsoil being so fertile, if it is removed, this can cause serious harm to farmer’s crops or the ability to effectively work on their land. Soil compaction, when the soil becomes compacted and stiff it reduces the ability for water to infiltrate these deeper levels, keeping runoff at greater levels which increases the risk of more serious erosion. The reduced organic and fertile matter can also be a consequence of soil erosion which leads to a lack of food security. With the topsoil being removed this reduces the ability for the land to regenerate new vegetation or crops. When these new plants and crops can’t be placed successfully in the area, this perpetuates a cycle of reduced levels of organic nutrients.

Food security is defined as the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. There are many strategies to try and ensure food security which include irrigation, to increase crop yields between 100 and 400%, the green revolutionwhich is the transfer of farming methods such as agrochemicals, mechanism and high-yield crop varieties, from developed to developing countries. Aquaculture, aeroponics and hydroponics are also strategies used. With soil being eroded and therefore losing its fertility, it causes issues with plant reproduction and soil acidity levels are increased, this puts food security in to jeopardy as farmers are unable to grow crops to feed their families, or sell on to make a profit which supports their livelihoods.