In the 1930s and 40s, India had terrible famines. In 1942 alone, the famine took 3.2 million people. To tide over the famine problem, we approached India's agriculture with emergency measures and tried to build a bridge to cross it. This was very important and many of us are alive today because of those steps.
Our Green Revolution was an effort to see that there were no famines in the country, which we managed to do. Since the 1960s, there has not been a famine in this country. There have been bad agricultural years but people have not starved because of lack of food, which is a great achievement. When we got independence in 1947, the average life expectancy of an Indian was 28 years. Today, it is close to 74 years. This achievement has been possible because of many aspects like vaccination processes and medical care, but the most important aspect is that we managed to produce food for a billion people.
So the Green Revolution was a bridge to cross a certain situation. But whatever we do in an emergency should not become a standard procedure. It was a bridge. If you get onto a bridge, somewhere, you have to get off it. If you stay on the bridge for too long, that means it is a bridge to nowhere. That is what has happened.
India has only 4 per cent of the world's land but 17.6 per cent of the world's population. With the pressure of our population, unless we manage our soil in a very smart way, future generations will suffer immensely. Without a minimum of 3 per cent organic content, the soil will not be alive for today and for tomorrow's use. The average organic content in India’s soil is 0.68 per cent, but nearly sixty percent of the land has below 0.5 per cent. This is not only with our country – there is not a single nation in the entire world which has an average of minimum 3 per cent organic content. The highest average organic content in the world is in northern Europe at 1.48 per cent. It is 1.1 per cent in southern Europe, 1.25 per cent in the United States and 0.3 per cent in Africa.
United Nations agencies are saying that the planet may have agricultural soil only for another 80–100 crops. That means we would run out of soil in 45–60 years.
The only way to do sustainable agriculture is to constantly ensure our soil is regenerated, that there is substantial biodiversity in agricultural soils. That is the only way forward. This is why the 'Save Soil' movement is about bringing policy change, that agricultural soil should have a minimum of 3-6 per cent organic content.
As a part of the 'Save Soil' movement, I have embarked on a crazy motorcycle journey across 27 countries, covering 30,000 km in 100 days, to meet with government leaders, influencers, and the general public, raise awareness, and recommend policy changes that ensure a minimum of 3–6 per cent organic content in soil.
Till now, there has been a spectacular response in every nation. Just four months ago, soil was not even in the conversation. Now, the word “soil” is reverberating everywhere. Since March 21, nearly 3 billion people have spoken about soil. Many UN agencies have joined us. Nine nations have signed MoUs with 'Save Soil'. I also addressed 193 nations at the UNCCD COP15 in Africa. Seventy-four nations have already committed to saving soil and the remaining are looking at how they can implement it.
In India, the seven states that I have been to –Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh – have signed MoUs. We are also signing an MoU in Karnataka. I have also spoken to our Prime Minister about the issue, and we have handed over a 500-page handbook for making a policy.
I am very confident that transformation will happen, but without the support of individual people, the government cannot do anything. Governments are not elected to do fantastic things; they are elected to fulfill people's mandate.
But where have people given the mandate for the long-term well-being of their state or nation? You are always asking for a two-rupee reduction in petrol price, 1 per cent reduction in income tax – and you are getting it. Unless you stand for the long-term well-being of your nation, the future of your children and the future generations, how can the governments invest in it? This is what the 'Save Soil' movement is about.
In a democratic nation, it is not just your vote, your voice is important. This is not an agitation, a protest, or an expression of anger or resentment because every one of us, knowingly or unknowingly, have been partners in the destruction of soil. The only way around is that every one of us become partners in the solution. There is simply no other way. So, I request every one of you to keep your voices up for the safety and well-being of the soil, and for the aliveness of Mother Earth.
Everything that you have seen as life around you – from the tiniest of worm to insect to bird to tree to animals to human beings – comes from the 15–18 inches of topsoil. We come from soil, we live off soil, and when we die, we go back to the soil. The only question is: Will we realize this now or will we realize this when we are buried? If we get it now, we can make a difference. We can be that generation which turned back from the brink of a disaster.
If our children have to live well on this planet, we need is clean water, pure air and nutritious food. For all this, the most fundamental link is rich soil. We do not know whether the future generations will choose to live well or not, but it is our business to see that the foundations for a good life are there for them.
'Save Soil'. Let us make it happen.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.