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Soil & The Environment

Center for Food Safety

Believe it or not, soil does much more than grow plants.  Soil is intimately involved in cycling nutrients to and from our atmosphere and waterways, is responsible for fresh, clean drinking water, and can even help address climate change.  For example, healthy soils contain high levels of organic matter, including complex organic acids that grab on to dangerous heavy metals and keep them from being absorbed by plants or running into waterways.  Soils likewise filter out other toxins and chemicals, hold moisture to regulate ambient temperature and plant metabolism, and sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 

Healthy soils regulate water flow much better than unhealthy soils, meaning they are much less prone to drought, flooding, and erosion—huge costs for farmers that can destroy entire fields.  The healthier the soil, the higher its capacity to perform all these inter-related functions to keep you and your environment safe and healthy.

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