Context:
On Earth Day 2025, the global conversation takes a critical turn towards soil health—the unseen cornerstone of both climate resilience and food production. The Indian Biogas Association (IBA) asserts that addressing these issues simultaneously is possible by transforming how we feed our crops and care for the land beneath.
Chemical Fertilisers: The Hidden Cost of High Yields
- Since the Green Revolution, chemical fertilisers have turbocharged crop yields but left a deep environmental footprint:
- 2.6 gigatonnes COâ‚‚-equivalent/year emissions from their production and use.
- 60–70% inefficiency: most synthetic nitrogen is lost to air or water.
- 500+ coastal dead zones caused by nitrogen runoff, including a dead zone the size of New Jersey in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Soil degradation is severe:
- UN: 33% of Earth’s soils degraded; 24 billion tonnes lost to erosion annually.
- US Corn Belt: soils have lost 40–60% of original organic matter, weakening resilience to floods and droughts.
The Organic Shift: A Regenerative Climate Solution
Organic alternatives like compost and Fermented Organic Manure (FOM) from biogas systems offer a sustainable route:
- Rebuild organic matter and biodiversity in soil.
- Reduce emissions and water pollution.
- Enable natural nutrient cycles.
Rodale Institute’s 40-Year Farming Systems Trial proves:
- Comparable yields after a 3-year transition.
- 30% higher yields during extreme weather events.
- Higher profits due to reduced input costs.
A 1% increase in organic matter allows soil to store 75,000 extra litres of water per acre—vital in a warming world.
Global Models of Soil-Centered Farming
- EU’s “Soil Deal for Europe” aims for 75% of soils under organic management by 2030.
- Kenyan farmers turn crop residues into compost for long-term soil enrichment.
- California’s Healthy Soils Program: $200 million+ in incentives for composting and cover cropping to reduce synthetic fertiliser use.
Biogas and the Circular Economy
IBA champions Fermented Organic Manure (FOM) as a game-changing byproduct of biogas systems:
- Can recycle 100% of food waste.
- Returns nutrients to soil while reducing methane emissions from landfills.
- Builds circular, localised economies that connect waste to food production.
From Soil to Sustenance
This Earth Day, the message is clear:
- The path to climate resilience and food security is not through more chemicals—but through more care.
- By investing in soil health via organic inputs, composting, and biogas byproducts, we ensure long-term productivity and sustainability.
