Reconnecting with the Earth: A Deep Dive into Sadhguru's Save Soil Movement

Soil is a vital natural resource that supports all life on Earth. It provides nutrients for plants, which in turn feed animals and humans, and helps in regulating the climate. 

However, the health of our soil is under threat from a range of human activities. These include intensive agriculture, deforestation, mining, and urbanization. Soil degradation is a serious problem that can lead to reduced crop yields, desertification, and even the loss of entire ecosystems!

In this blog post, we will explore the state of our soil around the world, along with the causes and consequences of soil degradation. We will also delve into Sadhguru’s Save Soil Movement, its impact on the environment, and the importance of community support in promoting it. 

So, with no further ado, let us dive right into it.

The Global Crisis of Soil

Soil is an essential and irreplaceable component of our lives. Without healthy soil, the production of crops will be reduced, leading to food scarcity and increased food prices. 

Additionally, soil also provides an important source of medicine, as pharmaceutical products are derived from plants that grow in soil. It also plays a critical role in water regulation and purification, making it a vital resource for the maintenance of clean and safe drinking water.

However, soil is a finite and non-renewable resource. It takes over 1000 years for 3 centimeters of topsoil to grow! The state at which soil has been depleting in the past few decades is a matter of concern. 

Soil degradation is a severe problem that has been worsened by various human activities. There are a lot of reports and research bearing witness to the deteriorating condition. 

For instance, a press release by UNCCD on Sustainable Land Management and Restoration states if the current rate of soil degradation persists, about 90% of the earth could turn into a desert by the year 2050! That’s such an alarming statistic, right?

Similarly, there are other reports on the degrading condition of soil from around the world. 

Deforestation and other activities have been degrading the earth’s topsoil at an alarmingly fast pace. Our planet is in crisis. Do you know that globally, 52% of agricultural land is already degraded? 

And if we don’t take any measures to prevent this right now, we might be putting the lives of the next generations at high risk! It’s time to take immediate action to protect and restore soil health to ensure food security, environmental sustainability, and overall human well-being.

Preserving Soil for a Sustainable Future: Understanding the Urgency

The importance of soil cannot be overstated. Do you know that one teaspoon of soil contains more living organisms than there are people on this entire planet? Soil is rich in organic content and it plays a vital role in sustaining our lives and the ecosystem. 

But modernization has threatened our livelihoods and ecosystem. We need a change in farming practices right now like never before. Here are some of the reasons why saving soil is the need of the hour.

Agriculture is the backbone of any economy. Healthy production of crops requires healthy land. Soil degradation is a significant threat to food security. 

Various problems like soil erosion, depletion of nutrients, and chemical contamination can lead to decreased agricultural productivity, which can ultimately result in food shortages and famine.

Soil degradation can result in the loss of habitat for plants and animals, leading to a decline in biodiversity. It can also result in increased air and water pollution, as soil acts as a natural filter.

Soil degradation can have a severe economic impact on rural communities that rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. It can lead to a reduction in crop yields, an increase in the cost of production, and ultimately, a decreased income for farmers.

Healthy soil is an essential carbon sink, which means it can absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Soil degradation can result in a loss of this carbon storage capacity, which can contribute to climate change.

Soil contamination can lead to the accumulation of toxins in crops. This can have serious health impacts on humans and animals consuming them. Some common health problems include skin irritation, respiratory problems, neurological effects, and more. 

To address the urgency of saving soil, it is crucial to adopt sustainable land use practices like sustainable forestry. Additionally, government policies and programs can play a crucial role in promoting sustainable practices and supporting farmers in adopting them.

The Birth of the Save Soil Movement

Sadhguru has been an advocate for the preservation of the environment for many years. He believes that soil is the foundation of all life and that it is our duty to protect it. Without healthy soil, it is not possible to sustain life. He is also concerned about the impact that human activities have on the soil and has been actively speaking about this issue for many years.

A few years back in 2017, Sadhguru launched the "Rally for Rivers" campaign to raise awareness about the declining state of India's rivers. This campaign was a huge success, and it helped in bringing the issue of water conservation to everyone’s attention.

However, Sadhguru knew that more needed to be done to protect the environment.

His passion for nature and its preservation led him to start the "Save Soil Movement” on 21st March 2022. The primary aim of this global campaign was to spread more awareness and educate people about the degradation of soil. 

It focused on several key areas, including soil health, soil conservation, and sustainable agriculture. Along with that, Sadhguru also aimed to bring reforms into the policies regarding soil health and its preservation. 

For this movement, Sadhguru embarked on a 100-day-long motorcycle journey where he traveled 30,000 kilometers, passing through 27 countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia, along with 11 Indian states. In the 100 days, he attended over 691 events. 

During this journey, Sadhguru organized several events and campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of soil conservation. These events included tree-planting drives, soil testing camps, and seminars on soil conservation. 

Along with that, he also spoke at the UNCCD (Ivory Coast) and the World Economic Forum (Davos), urging the leaders to devise policies to stop the rapid depletion of our soil. 

Since the launch of the Save Soil Movement, Sadhguru has been working tirelessly to promote the cause. He has given numerous speeches and interviews, and has been using social media to spread the word. 

The movement has already gained significant support, and many people are now taking action to protect the soil in their own communities. Sadhguru believes that the Save Soil Movement has the potential to make a significant impact on the environment and that it is a crucial step towards a sustainable future. 

He believes that the voice of the people is the most important factor that will actually lead to impact and reform. Therefore, he urges people to speak up and spread the word!

Sadhguru’s Determination: Overcoming Obstacles in the Journey

Sadhguru's 100-day motorbike journey to spread awareness about saving soil was not without its challenges. 

One of the biggest hardships was the physical strain of traveling long distances and organizing events across multiple countries. He traveled for long hours, enduring harsh climatic conditions like rains and the desert heat.

Undertaking a journey like that would’ve certainly caused fatigue. But Sadhguru had to constantly keep himself energized while meeting groups of people and educating them about his noble cause. 

He had decided to not book his stay in a hotel throughout the 100-day campaign. Thus, getting proper food and sufficient rest was another challenge in itself. Apart from that, understanding and conversing in different languages when passing through different countries and geographical regions might have been difficult as well. 

Additionally, the journey was not always safe, as he had to navigate through areas with political unrest and other hazards. However, Sadhguru persevered and continued to spread his message of soil conservation, despite the obstacles he faced along the way.

The Vital Role of the Community in Supporting the Save Soil Movement

The Save Soil Campaign has received worldwide attention as people from all corners of the world came together to protect and preserve our planet's soil. Although many participants were not physically at the front lines of this environmental movement, their contributions were no less significant. 

In fact, people played a major role in the success of the campaign. Through their online presence, social media activism, and content creation, they were able to amplify the message of this campaign to a staggering 3.9 billion people and create a network of supporters across the world. 

Many global influencers demonstrated their support for the Save Soil Movement, including famous personalities like the Dalai Lama, Baba Ramdev, Trevor Noah, Sonu Sood, Juhi Chawla, Tony Robbins, Chris Gayle, Ranveer Singh, Kapil Dev, Joe Rogan, and more. 

Following were some of the successful initiatives that involved remote participants from around the world.

The Earth Buddy program is an initiative launched by Sadhguru during the Save Soil Movement. It encourages people to become ambassadors for soil conservation within their communities. This program provides lots of educational resources to help people create awareness about soil extinction and ways to conserve it.  

As an Earth Buddy, you can participate in various activities, like conducting workshops, distributing educational materials, collaborating with local organizations and government agencies to promote sustainable agriculture, and advocating for policies that support soil health.

With the inception of the Save Soil Campaign, Sadhguru laid out a unique concept “Each One Reach One”, which urges people to educate one person about soil every single day for at least 10 minutes. It may be your family member, a friend, or anyone random. 

The primary motive is to simply reach out to one person every day and educate them about the importance of soil preservation. Even if every single person just reaches one other person, we can slowly create a chain reaction of awareness among millions of people worldwide!

Sadhguru also believes that music is a universal language. Irrespective of what language one speaks, music is a language understood by all alike. 

With this idea, he launched the Save Soil Song, encouraging people to take action to protect and restore soil health. This catchy song has been liked by people in 161 countries. 

It has garnered more than 3 lakh views and 19k+ likes on YouTube! It has also been widely shared on social media and inspired people to get involved in the movement!

Significance of Social Media in the Save Soil Campaign

Since its inception in March 2022, the Save Soil Movement has gained significant traction on social media, especially Twitter. People from around the globe have been actively retweeting and sharing posts around the campaign. 

This has not only been a major contributor to spreading awareness about the state of our soil but also inspired millions of people to get involved in the movement. Social media platforms have proven to be really effective in garnering support for the cause. 

If you wish to play your part and offer your support for the save soil movement, you can visit the Conscious Planet Toolkit to find shareable material or Become an Earth Buddy to help create awareness about the Save Soil Movement.

Impact of the Save Soil Movement

Sadhguru's Save Soil Initiative has been a resounding success among the masses. A total of 81 nations have decided to support the cause. Whereas, 74 nations have already signed up for the movement and committed themselves to devise soil-friendly policies.

This campaign has brought together over 3.9 billion people, including celebrities, influencers, sportspersons, and the general public. The public has shown immense support through social media posts, street art, letters, walkathons, songs, concerts, etc. 

Global organizations like the IUCN, UNCCD, World Food Programme, WHO, World Economic Forum, etc have actively supported the cause and applauded Sadhguru's efforts towards conserving the environment.

Not only that, 1236 media houses and 1150 corporates have also come forward to support the cause. It's surprising to witness such massive support for a movement that started out really small. 

Summary

Soil plays a critical role in supporting and maintaining life on Earth. With the alarming rate at which it's depleting, spreading awareness has become the need of the hour. 

The Save Soil Movement has been instrumental in raising awareness about the importance of soil conservation. It has successfully created a global movement of individuals who are committed to soil conservation and sustainable agriculture. 

Along with that, initiatives like the Earth Buddy, Save Soil Song, and various social media campaigns have played a significant part in promoting awareness around soil health and bringing people together from all around the world. 

This is the time to come together and play your part in preserving the environment. If you wish to contribute to the cause, you can do so by becoming an Earth Buddy or actively posting on social media channels and raising awareness. Every single individual's support counts. Let's bring humanity together and keep the magic of our soil alive!