Soil degradation isn’t a warning anymore — it’s happening right now. One-tenth of our arable land is already under threat. And instead of healing it, we’re running it like a factory treadmill. Crops in, nothing back.
The biggest enabler? Exorbitant chemical fertilizer subsidies. They make overuse the default, not the exception. Add to that — organic matter is missing. Why? Because high-intensity farms don’t have labor for composting, and no real systems to support it either.
Now enter monocropping: wheat, paddy, sugarcane — the golden trio of government support. High on inputs, low on micronutrient return. Backed by subsidies, procurement, and political romance. Result? We’re squeezing the soil dry — and calling it productivity. There’s no serious national plan to rebuild soil health. No strong incentives for crop diversification. And no large-scale system to support organic replenishment at the pace we’re exploiting it.
This isn’t just soil fatigue — it’s system fatigue. And if we keep mining without minding, the day of “no return” won’t give us a warning.
