Going against our gut

There is a close link between soil and our gut, says Sibylle Frey – so soil degradation is a pressing issue for human health.

Soils are an essential reservoir for the human gut and the largest microbial gene pool on earth. Their rich microbial diversity is essential for microbial ecology, nutrient cycling, biomass production, and plant behavior. They take thousands of years to make and few to destroy.

However, population pressures, modern lifestyles, and farming practices are causing alarming losses. Globally, 33% of soils are degraded – rising to nearly 70% in Europe and causing the continent €50bn of losses per year. Only now are we beginning to grasp the links between soil and gut microbiomes (the genomes of all micro-organisms in an environment), and the fact that their decline may have consequences for human health.

Read the full article here.