Sixty Harvests Left: How to Reach a Nature-Friendly Future

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Our World in Data presents the data and research to make progress against the world’s largest problems. Endnotes Edmondson, J. L., Davies, Z. G., Gaston, K. J., & Leake, J. R. (2014). Urban cultivation in allotments maintains soil qualities adversely affected by conventional agriculture. Journal of Applied Ecology, 51(4), 880-889. A spokesperson for the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) said the vast majority of beef and dairy cattle in the UK were “grazing outdoors throughout the year for as long as the weather conditions permit”. Minimal or zero-tillage practices try to manage soils without this mechanical overturning of the soil. This reduces soil erosion but has its own trade-offs: because weeds are not disturbed by ploughing, it often requires more herbicides to kill them. Some of these trade-offs can be reduced by combining it with cover cropping. Cover crops such as legumes add nitrogen to the soil, and can protect the soil from weeds and pests. Yesterday (17 th August), Joanna Lumley officially launched our Global CEO, Philip Lymbery’s third book, S ixty Harvests Left: How to Reach a Nature-Friendly Future, at Hatchards Bookshop in Piccadilly, London. A chilling warning

While Dutch farmers protest the World Economic Forum’s Net Zero plans, and Sri Lanka’s economy collapses after its government’s disastrous banning of synthetic fertilisers, it is timely to read two intelligent and very well-researched books that dissect perhaps the biggest issue of our time: the future of food and farming. Healthy soil can absorb huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian Philip Lymbery is Chief Executive of leading international farm animal welfare organisation Compassion in World Farming, as well as being a Visiting Professor at the University of Winchester, award-winning author and animal advocate. He was appointed an ambassadorial ‘Champion’ for the UN Food Systems Summit in 2021. UK is 30 to 40 years away from the ‘eradication of soil fertility’ warns Gove” [the former Environment Secretary].James Wong interviewed a number of soil scientists and asked if they had seen a credible single figure for the number of “harvests left” in the scientific research. None of them had. Their responses to this metric ranged from “hardly useful” to “almost insulting”. Gyssels, G., Poesen, J., Bochet, E., & Li, Y. (2005). Impact of plant roots on the resistance of soils to erosion by water: a review. Progress in Physical Geography, 29(2), 189-217.

Beautifully crafted. A compelling, excoriating account of industrial farming – how it is driving the climate and biodiversity emergencies, while also undermining our health. Full of insights and encounters with pioneers of new ways of farming, Sixty Harvests Left is a call to action – to change our world from the ground up. A vitally necessary book." Soils are at risk from erosion by wind and water, made worse by the loss of natural features such as hedgerows and trees; from heavy agricultural machinery; from over-grazing, climate change and intensive agriculture. Poor soils also lead to problems with water supplies, and can affect air quality as fertilisers produce ammonia which reacts with other gases to form particles that harm the lungs. As much as 3m tonnes of topsoil are lost in the UK each year, while restoring lost soils can take centuries. Philip Lymbery pulls no punches in cataloguing the calamitous mistakes we've made in our food system, but he has bold and inspiring solutions to offer, too' Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Through conservation agriculture, farmers can reduce costs, use fewer chemicals and rebuild biological life in the soil, making it healthier, more resilient to extreme weather and able to support more wildlife. It’s win-win for farmers, the people they feed and the environment.” Beautifully crafted. A compelling, excoriating account of industrial farming – how it is driving the climate and biodiversity emergencies, while also undermining our health. Full of insights and encounters with pioneers of new ways of farming, Sixty Harvests Left is a call to action – to change our world from the ground up. A vitally necessary book.”

Sixty Harvests Left is a book about urgency, but also hope,” said Philip at the launch event. “The solutions are just waiting for us to take them down and save ourselves.” Get your copy now But this also creates negative impacts: it can damage the soil structure, leading to soils becoming more susceptible to erosion. Increasing soil erosion can lead to a loss of nutrients and organic matter; it may increase chemical run-off from the land; and may reduce water infiltration. This profoundly important book should be read by all who would like humanity to survive beyond one more human lifetime, and the solutions it proposes should implemented as if our futures depend on it – which they do"