The food you eat and the air you breathe depend on the health of the soil beneath your feet! Healthy soil is packed with nutrients that help fruits, vegetables, and grains grow strong, which means you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay healthy.
When soil is full of life, it also helps clean the water we drink and keeps the environment balanced. But if soil is damaged by pesticides or overuse, it loses its nutrients, making food less nutritious and harming the planet. Taking care of soil means taking care of ourselves—because healthy soil equals healthy kids!
How Is Soil Health Maintained?
Healthy soil doesn’t just happen on its own—it needs the right balance of living things working together. Grazing animals, like cows and bison, help maintain soil health by naturally fertilizing the ground with their waste and keeping plant growth in check so the land doesn’t become overgrown.
Underground, tiny fungi called mycorrhizae form special partnerships with plant roots, helping them absorb water and nutrients more efficiently. In return, plants give the fungi energy from sunlight. This teamwork improves soil structure, making it spongy and rich, which helps it hold water better and resist erosion. Together, grazing animals and mycorrhizal fungi help soil stay strong, making it better for growing food and supporting life.
(Photo Credit: kids.mongabay.com)
How Healthy Soil Helps Us
When soil is full of life and well-balanced, it does amazing things for plants, people, and the planet:
- Better Nutrition – Healthy soil is packed with nutrients that get passed into the food we eat, making fruits, vegetables, and grains more nutritious and tasty.
- Stronger Soil Structure – A mix of plant roots, fungi, and tiny organisms keeps soil soft and spongy, helping it hold water and prevent erosion. This means stronger crops and less damage from wind and rain.
- Less Stress on Plants (and People!) – When soil is healthy, plants grow stronger and handle extreme weather, like droughts or heavy rains, much better. This means farmers don’t have to rely on chemical fertilizers, and we get safe, more nutritious food.
Removing GMOs and Pesticides Creates Healthier Soil
Using pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can harm the balance of life in the soil. Here’s why reducing them helps keep soil—and us—healthier:
- Protects Helpful Microorganisms – Pesticides don’t just kill pests; They can also wipe out good bacteria and fungi that help plants grow and keep soil strong.
- Keeps Soil Full of Nutrients – GMOs and chemical sprays deplete soil nutrients over time, making it harder for plants to grow without extra fertilizers.
- Reduces Pollution – Pesticides can wash into rivers and lakes, harming wildlife and even getting into our drinking water. Healthier soil naturally filters water and keeps our environment clean.
- Encourages Natural Balance – Without harsh chemicals, plants, insects, and microorganisms can work together the way nature intended, making soil richer and more resilient.
By farming in ways that respect soil life, we keep it healthy for future generations—and for the food we eat today!
(Photo credit: www.pestec.com)
Why Plant Diversity Matters
Just like people need a variety of foods to stay healthy, soil needs a mix of different plants to thrive. Growing many types of plants instead of just one (called monocropping) helps keep soil rich and full of life. Different plants release unique nutrients through their roots, attracting specific microbes like bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter and feed the soil.
This diversity also prevents soil from being drained of the same nutrients over and over, keeping it balanced and fertile. Some plants have deep roots that loosen compacted soil, while others help retain moisture, creating a strong, resilient structure. Plus, a mix of plants naturally controls pests and diseases by confusing insects and slowing the spread of harmful organisms, removing the need for chemical pesticides. By planting a variety of crops, farmers help build healthier soil, leading to stronger plants, better food, and a more balanced environment.
What is Compost? ♻️
Compost is nature’s way of recycling! It’s made by breaking down organic materials like food scraps, leaves, and plant waste into a rich, soil-like substance full of nutrients. Tiny organisms, like bacteria and worms, help speed up this process by feeding on the waste and turning it into healthy soil.
Adding compost, manure, or annual crops to pasture systems is like giving soil a supercharged boost of nutrients. These natural materials increase soil organic matter, which improves its ability to hold water, store carbon, and support plant growth. Compost and manure are packed with essential nutrients that feed plants and create the perfect habitat for mycorrhizal fungi—those tiny underground helpers that form partnerships with plant roots to improve nutrient absorption we discussed earlier.
Annual crops, when carefully rotated into pastures, add diversity to the soil, preventing nutrient depletion and keeping the underground ecosystem thriving. With more organic matter, soil becomes richer, healthier, and more resilient, supporting stronger plants, better food, and a balanced environment.
Key Points & Self-Study Questions
Key Points:
- Healthy soil = healthy food – Soil full of nutrients supports strong plants, leading to more nutritious food for people.
- Living things keep soil strong – Grazing animals, mycorrhizal fungi, and diverse plant life all work together to improve soil structure and fertility.
- Reducing chemicals helps soil – Avoiding GMOs and pesticides protects beneficial microbes, keeps nutrients in the soil, and reduces pollution.
- Plant diversity strengthens soil – Different plants attract helpful microbes, prevent nutrient loss, and naturally control pests and diseases.
- Compost boosts soil health – Adding compost, manure, or rotating crops increases organic matter, making soil richer, stronger, and more resilient.
Self-Study Questions:
- How do grazing animals and mycorrhizal fungi help improve soil health?
- Why does reducing GMOs and pesticides make soil more resilient?
- What are the benefits of planting a variety of crops instead of just one type?
- How does composting improve soil and reduce environmental waste?
- What would happen to plants and food production if soil became unhealthy?
Thinking about these questions can help you understand why soil health is so important for both people and the planet! Compose your own ideas and mail them to info@gmoscience.org. The top answers will be featured on our website!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does reducing GMOs and pesticides make soil more resilient?
Jake, 13 years old, from Evansville, WI responds:
My grandpa’s farm taught me that when you use too many chemicals, the soil gets lazy. Pesticides kill not just the bad bugs but also the good ones that help plants grow. And GMOs? They’re made to survive all those sprays, but that just means farmers have to use even stronger chemicals over time. When you let nature do its thing—like having worms, fungi, and bacteria work together—the soil stays rich and healthy.
Without all those chemicals washing away, our rivers and lakes stay cleaner. Grandpa always says, “Healthy soil makes better crops, and better crops make better food!” Sounds about right to me!
