Last week, I attended a thought-provoking discussion on soil, organised by Dartmouth Park Talks, in association with the Chelsea Fringe festival. Settling down for the discussion, held in a local pub, I quickly realised that the state of our planet’s soil has huge implications for our children’s future.

2015 is the year of the soil and one of our most precious resources is under threat.    With current usage, the UN predicts that we only have 60 years of crop growing left.   George Monbiot’s article, ‘treating soil like dirt‘ describes the issue in urgent detail.

In sixty years time, my son will be sixty one, the time when he should be enjoying imminent retirement and I hope to be enjoying my early nineties.  I must admit, before the talk I rarely thought about soil or gardening, even though I like buying organic food.  From now on, I plan to pay this issue more attention.

Debbie Bourne, author of Gardening in High Heels, brought the subject immediately to life.  She handed round different ‘cocktails’ of soil for us to sample. I pondered how long it had been since I truly got my hands dirty (aside from washing the mud off our weekly vegetable delivery).

Debbie’s talk was followed by an engaging presentation from Henrietta and Bridget of The Land Gardeners. They put the plight of soil into urgent perspective, showing a haunting film, narrated by Edward Norton (natureisspeaking.org) and then memorably dividing up an apple to demonstrate how little we have left.  If an apple represents the planet, just a tiny strip of peel represents productive soil, and this small area is under attack following years of misuse.

John Twyford, a farmer from Tablehurst and Plaw Hatch farm gave a compelling argument in favour of a biodynamic farming approach.  He also addressed the importance of community involvement.  For instance, Plaw Hatch Farm is actively supported by 700 local shareholders. We were invited to consider, as Londoners, how we can support rural farming and benefit our own urban lives.  Ruth Pavey, a local gardening editor and Howard Sooley, a biodynamic gardener were also part of the panel and engaged in vibrant discussions with the audience.

The debate brought home a fundamental truth; we are all dependent on nature.  While we may prefer to ignore soil, seeing it as unglamorous or ‘other’, we cannot sustain our existence without it.

There are sources of hope to inspire us going forward. Henrietta talked about how we can revitalise our soil with sustained care, attention and effort and recommended a film called Symphony of the Soil.

I left with a copy of Debbie’s entertaining book.  She interweaves a year of gardening tips into a light hearted yet passionate story. I’m going to start with trying rocket – this is what Debbie recommends for a beginner starting in June.  The title appeals to me, as someone who embraces environmental justice, while also appreciating a beautifully designed pair of shoes.

My talents do not currently lie in gardening but the state of our soil is an issue we all need to address, whether by adapting our own gardens (personal or community ones), using our purchasing power, or by putting pressure on policy makers. To start with, it’s an issue we need to talk about and lively community events are an excellent way to begin this conversation.