This volume of the Albrecht Papers presents the logical connections among soil health, animal health and human health. There is a need for a restored respect among both farmers and scientists for the importance of soil health. From this respect, a commitment to restoring the natural fertility and productivity of the soil must arise as a means of restoring health to humanity.

"Nature works and has been working for a billion and a half years-ever since there were living things on earth. This is important. We talk of controlling nature, but any wise farmer or stockman knows that nature makes the rules for us to learn and follow, if we can. In short, the ecologist is in a position to furnish us, in many ways, models which we can follow in our own operations. Before the prairies were settled, plowed and fenced, wild herds moved back and forth across them, never staying in one place after the grass was cropped too short. These moving herds distributed minerals from their droppings and remains, for it is well-known that wild animals usually maintain a good mineral balance by visiting salt-licks and varying their pasture-grounds. Here in a nutshell is the model for proper use of grasslands. It takes a lot of common sense to get across the information we need. He has it and can put it out so we can all understand it."--Wheelers.co.nz.

The contributions in this book describe the role soils play for plant, animal and human health. They show that soil- and human health are intricately connected, because healthy soils produce healthy crops, which in turn nourish humans and animals, allowing for their health and productivity. Soil quality directly influences the quality and quantity of food that can be produced, as soils provide essential macro- and micronutrients and attenuate environmental pollutants. On the other hand, these same pollutants, thus concentrated in soils, may cause soils to become toxic and degraded. Soils (and their crops) may also be responsible for exposure to pests and pathogens, while, at the same time, providing drug substances and may even suppress diseases. Soil quality is vital on a global scale, as more than 800 million people around the world are undernourished, implying that their intake of food is insufficient to meet their daily energy needs, and the deficiency of essential micronutrients is even more widespread. Nearly one third of the world's population is affected by zinc deficiency, while iron deficiency affects nearly 3 billion people. Climate change has been shown to affect animal and human health, and soils are intricately linked to the atmosphere by being both a source and sink of greenhouse gases. Soils are the largest active terrestrial reservoir of organic carbon and its sequestration in soils can be enhanced by improved management practices. The book summarizes the current state of research of these important issues and provides a comprehensive treatise of the global importance of soils to for humankind.

Food starts with soils, and as the target date to accomplish the SDGs grows closer, it is more urgent than ever to reverse soil degradation and tackle its effects on agrifood systems. This booklet aims to review the role of soil fertility in producing sufficient, safe, and more nourishing food for healthier plants, animals, and people. It also offers recommendations for solutions that can provide a more nutritious agrifood system for enhancing human health and wellbeing while protecting the environment. Soil fertility and nutrition involve processes at scales ranging from molecules to the entire planet. Our interventions in these processes may exacerbate the global challenges we face but can also be modified to solve them. This booklet contributes to understanding processes related to soil fertility from the perspectives of food production and food security, and the environmental and climate change impacts associated with fertilizer misuse and overuse. The booklet also outlines the main areas of opportunity and the way forward to solve the nutrient imbalance prevailing in our current agrifood systems.

This is a newly edited revision of Albert Howard's important text on organic farming and gardening, and the central role of humus in maintaining soil health and fertility. THE SOIL AND HEALTH is a detailed analysis of the vital role of humus and compost in soil health - and the importance of soil health to the health of crops and the humans who eat them. The author is keenly aware of the dead end which awaits humanity if we insist on growing our food using artificial fertilisers and poisons. Albert Howard (1873-1947) was one of the leaders of the British organics movement in the mid-twentieth century. He was the first westerner to document and publish research on traditional techniques of agriculture, including Indian and Chinese farming and management of the soil. "Agriculture is the fundamental industry of the world and must be allowed to occupy the primary position in the economies of all countries." - Albert Howard CONTENTS 1 - Soil Fertility and Agriculture 1.1 The operations of Nature The life of the plant The living soil The significance of humus The importance of minerals 1.2 Systems of agriculture Primitive forms of agriculture Shifting cultivation The harnessing of the Nile Staircase cultivation The agriculture of China The agriculture of Greece and Rome Farming in the Middle Ages 1.3 Soil fertility in Great Britain The Roman occupation The Saxon conquest The open-field system The depreciation of soil fertility The low yield of wheat The Black Death The Industrial Revolution and soil fertility The Great Depression of 1879 The Second World War 1.4 Industrialism and the profit motive 1.5 The intrusion of Science 2 - Disease in Present-day Farming and Gardening 2.1 Diseases of the soil Soil erosion The formation of alkaline land 2.2 The diseases of crops 2.3 Disease and health in livestock 2.4 Soil fertility and human health 2.5 The nature of disease 3 - The Problem of Manuring 3.1 The origins and scope of the problem The phosphate problem and its solution The reform of the manure heap Sheet-composting and nitrogen fixation The utilisation of town wastes 3.2 The Indore Process - Some practical points - The New Zealand compost box - Mechanisation - The spread of the Indore Process 3.3 The reception by scientists