Loss of Fertile Land
Crisis
The continued loss of fertile land is a global crisis that threatens agricultural production for both crops and livestock. It is largely driven by industrial agricultural practices, and exacerbated by the climate crisis.
The western industrial system of food and agricultural production, with its focus on intense production of specific crops, rather than long-term productivity of the landscape as a living system, promotes soil erosion at 10 to 100 times the rate of soil formation. This issue is compounded by the climate emergency, where extreme weather contributes to soil erosion.
Loss of fertile land threatens both food security and economic security for peoples and nations around the world. It is part of a vicious cycle which drives the expansion of bad land management practices into new areas - driven by the abandonment of degraded and no longer productive former agricultural areas.
Regenerative agriculture can increase food and income security by working to sustain ecosystemic health. For example, biodiverse planting and sustainable irrigation systems support soil health and reduce vulnerability to pests and pathogens. Such practices give better opportunities to adapt to changing weather, water and climate conditions, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from soil erosion in the process.
Every player must add 1 Community in Crisis per Temperature Band.
Players can reduce this effect by 1 for each Ecological Resilience token in their player board.
For example: 5 Temperature Bands – 3 Ecological Resilience = add 2 Communities in Crisis.
Resilience tokens are not discarded.
Buy organic products, for which farmers have used regenerative agricultural practices.
Buy directly from the farmer, or shop at farmers’ markets.
Ask politicians to ensure that regenerative farmers are economically rewarded for their efforts, and ban unsafe practices.