Muscat – It is estimated that 90 per cent of the world’s topsoil will be degraded by 2050, with 52 per cent of Earth’s agricultural soil already degraded. The degradation will affect the food chain, ecology and demography of mankind all over the world irrespective of nationality and community.

These were the concerns raised by the popular Indian environmentalist and motivational speaker Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, who is on a global mission to raise awareness on soil degradation. His campaign, called Save Soil Movement, has received support from over 70 nations till date.

The 64-year-old spoke at the Indian Embassy in Muscat, followed by a two-hour session with a live audience at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) on Wednesday.

Speaking during the press conference at the embassy, Sadhguru said, “We must remember that we come from soil, thrive on soil and go back to soil. It is full of living microbes and organic content. One inch of fertile soil takes thousands of years to make and we are destroying it. We have received soil from a generation and must pass it on to the next. Save Soil is not an agitation, a protest or a fight against anyone.”

Lauding the efforts made in the Gulf region, he said, “While many countries are busy turning fertile land into desert, this part of the world is doing its best to create food. People have survived for years in the same deserts and it has specific qualities that can make life thrive.”

The audience at OCEC heard an impassioned plea to save the planet’s soil and a call to be part of this global movement.