Jeda Palmer

Soil is important, especially for growing our food Soil is critical for Australian farmers to grow our food. A dynamic and living environment, soil provides a source of nutrients and water and the structural support for plants to grow and systems to flourish. From Western Australia’s sandy soils to Queensland’s black cracking clays, agricultural soils around Australia vary considerably. Different soils need different management practices to sustain and improve them.

CSIRO research has found the seemingly impossible task of achieving sustainable nutrition is not as far-fetched as many think. Some go without, while others eat food that doesn’t meet nutritional requirements. Our current food system is not effectively nourishing us. Globally, 690 million people are chronically undernourished, two billion people suffer micronutrient deficiencies and another two billion are overweight or obese. Unhealthy food is a leading cause of disease worldwide.