It’s estimated that the planet has only another 60 years left of farmable soil. A result of continuously growing crops along with soil erosion, leaching and nitrogen loss, soil fertility decline occurs when the quantities of nutrients removed from the soil through harvested products exceed the quantities of nutrients being applied. In this scenario, the the soil taps its reserves to meet the crop’s nutrient requirements until these reserves can no longer meet crop demands.

A new documentary, The Need to GROW, powerfully explores the urgent problem of living on a planet that has only an estimated 60 years left of farmable soil. It documents the creative and courageous ways in which different individuals are responding to that challenge. The film highlights the stories of three main characters: Alicia Serratos, an 8-year-old Girl Scout; Erik Cutter, a regenerative urban farmer; and Michael Smith, an inventor. Serratos spearheads a petition for non-GMO Girl Scout cookies and Cutter aims to cultivate food in a resource-efficient manner. Smith, President and Co-Founder of Algae Aqua-Culture Technologies Inc, along with other scientists, has engineered a system that serves as ‘a closed-loop energy generator that sequesters carbon, grows algae, and produces a nutrient-rich, organic soil vitalizer.’ Check out the trailer below.

Photo via Pixabay
H/T DailyGood