The European Crisis No One is Talking About

The Soil Crisis in Europe: An Unspoken Emergency

The meteorological events in 2024 have struck a severe blow to European farmers, exposing an economic emergency in the region that still remains too little discussed.
This past year saw a series of climate change-augmented phenomena including droughts, floods, winter heatwaves, and late frosts that have wreaked havoc in agricultural areas.

In recent months, cattle have died of thirst in Sicily, wheat fields have turned to quagmires in France, and vineyards have withered in Germany.
The damages caused by the floods in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary in September have yet to be assessed, yet last week, the European Commission allocated €10 billion in cohesion funds.
Countries are also tapping into the Common Agricultural Policy’s €450 million emergency reserve, while the European Union Solidarity Fund is working ardently to provide assistance.

The Underlying Issue: Soil Degradation

As highlighted by Politico.eu, in this catastrophic context, the degradation of soil is seldom mentioned as both a restoration target and a contributing factor to the crisis.
Agricultural economist and farmer Benedikt Bösel from Brandenburg, Germany, has made it clear that soil erosion, exacerbated by climate change, is indeed a pressing emergency.

Approximately 60% of European soil is in poor condition, threatened by a range of degrading processes such as erosion, compaction, salinization, pollution, and biodiversity loss, as noted in the EU’s soil strategy document.

The Impact on Agriculture and Food Security

This degradation directly impacts agricultural productivity and, consequently, food systems and security.
An expert from the European Commission has indicated, “Water erosion is one of the worst degradation processes, and we have very high rates of it.” The topsoil, rich in organic matter, plays a crucial role in nutrient and water cycles.
When this layer is eroded, it creates a perfect environment for disasters.

Furthermore, “soil biodiversity is crucial for nutrient cycling and crop availability, while soil compaction limits root growth and water infiltration,” the expert added.
Healthy soils are essential for good yields, which have been notably low this year, particularly in France.
There, waterlogged fields combined with volatile temperatures resulted in wheat production hitting a 40-year low, consequently removing Paris from the list of the top five cereal exporters globally, ceding market shares to Russia.

The Financial Toll of Soil Erosion

Globally, soil degradation costs over €5.5 trillion annually, which amounts to more than 8% of the world’s GDP, though restoration efforts can yield returns of €6 to €27 for every euro invested, according to a new report by the Save Soil movement.

In the EU, the annual cost of soil degradation runs into tens of billions of euros, six times the cost of reparative action.
In March, the European Environment Agency identified soil health as a significant risk, predicting a high likelihood of worsening erosion and aridity over the next 15 years.
There is also a moderate probability of widespread soil degradation causing cascading impacts on food production, water supply, and biodiversity by 2100.

The Need for Urgent Action

The European Commission and Parliament have lagged in establishing community rules to protect land.
Addressing this emergency demands more diplomacy than one might think, especially given the strong agricultural lobby within Europe.
Although progress is slow, it is imperative to confront the soil emergency urgently.