Sustainable Floriculture Thrives in Healthy Soil, Boosting Biodiversity and a Greener Earth
In the world of floriculture, the importance of healthy soils is increasingly being recognized as a critical factor in achieving sustainable development. By managing soil health, growers can contribute to biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, and sustainable livelihoods.
Soil health management involves practices such as organic amendments, cover cropping, and reduced synthetic inputs. This approach promotes microbial diversity and populations of beneficial soil organisms like earthworms and mycorrhizal fungi. These organisms improve nutrient cycling, suppress diseases, and create habitats that support greater biodiversity above and below ground, including more pollinators and other fauna [1][3].
Healthy soils also serve as effective carbon sinks, containing significantly higher organic carbon levels—15-28% more in organic systems—making them key players in climate change mitigation [1][5]. Practices like adding compost and organic fertilizers, reducing tillage, and maintaining good soil structure increase soil organic matter, thus storing atmospheric carbon dioxide.
For rural farming communities engaged in floriculture, improved soil health enhances flower crop quality and yield stability. This supports stable incomes and job security, contributing to poverty reduction and economic growth aligned with sustainable development goals (SDGs) [3].
Additional environmental benefits include improved water infiltration and retention, reducing surface runoff, erosion, and pollution of aquatic systems. This leads to cleaner water resources and healthier ecosystems surrounding floriculture areas [1][3].
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has identified sub-Saharan Africa as one of the global hotspots for soil degradation, with over 40% of the region's soil resources considered moderately to severely degraded. Improved soil health management can help address this issue, supporting audit readiness and market differentiation for certified growers participating in schemes like MPS-ABC or Florverde Sustainable Flowers (FSF) [4].
Soil health management also addresses several SDGs, including poverty alleviation, decent work and economic growth, good health and well-being, clean water and sanitation, life on land, and climate action.
In Kenya, a majority of sampled farms had critically low levels of nitrogen and organic carbon, the two fundamental indicators of soil health, according to the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) [2]. Floriculture farms can significantly contribute to soil regeneration when managed with ecological principles in mind, improving soil structure, increasing organic matter, and enhancing microbial activity.
Certification schemes like Fairtrade, Ornamental Horticulture Assurance Scheme (OHAS), MPS, FSF, Sustainability Initiative of South Africa (SIZA), Kenya Flower Council (KFC) Silver and Gold Standards, GlobalG.A.P., Rainforest Alliance, and Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (Sedex SMETA) ensure compliance with good agricultural practices (GAP) and environmental and social basic requirements.
However, the floriculture sector's problem is compounded by monocropping and the frequent application of chemical inputs, which degrade soil health and disrupt beneficial soil organisms. Regenerative practices like cover cropping, composting, reduced tillage, integrated pest management (IPM), and organic soil amendments restore soil structure, enhance microbial activity, and improve resilience to climate variability.
In conclusion, soil health management integrates ecological, climate, and socioeconomic benefits, making it foundational to sustainable floriculture that protects biodiversity, enhances carbon capture, and sustains rural livelihoods. By adopting these practices, the floriculture industry can not only improve its productivity but also de-risk entire economies by reducing crop failure, job cuts, and environmental impacts.
References:
[1] FAO. (2015). The state of the world's soils for food and agriculture. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
[2] KALRO. (2018). Soil health status in Kenya. Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization.
[3] IPBES. (2019). Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
[4] FAO. (2020). Sustainable soil management for food security and climate change adaptation. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
[5] Smil, V. (2014). The fertile crescent: the birthplace of agriculture. University of California Press.
- Influx of beneficial soil organisms like earthworms and mycorrhizal fungi is promoted by soil health management practices, enhancing nutrient cycling and suppressing diseases.
- Soil health management practices, such as cover cropping and organic amendments, are crucial for creating habitats that foster greater biodiversity, including more pollinators and other fauna.
- Healthy soils, rich in organic matter, serve as effective carbon sinks, storing atmospheric carbon dioxide and playing a significant role in climate change mitigation.
- Better flower crop quality and yield stability are achieved when rural farming communities engage in floriculture with improved soil health management, which supports stable incomes and job security.
- Water infiltration and retention are improved by healthy soils, reducing surface runoff, erosion, and pollution of aquatic systems, fostering cleaner water resources and healthier ecosystems.
- Sub-Saharan Africa, identified as a global hotspot for soil degradation, can benefit from improved soil health management practices, supporting audit readiness and market differentiation for certified growers.
- Floriculture farms can significantly contribute to soil regeneration when managed with ecological principles in mind, enhancing soil structure, increasing organic matter, and improving microbial activity.
- Certification schemes like Fairtrade, MPS, FSF, and IPM ensure compliance with good agricultural practices and environmental basic requirements, promoting sustainable floriculture that supports biodiversity, enhances carbon capture, and sustains rural livelihoods.
