OPINION: Carbon. It gets talked about a lot, but many people don’t understand why it is important in the context of our food.
I’m going to cut straight to a very simple concept for all to remember: Too much carbon above the ground – in the atmosphere – is not good (look up greenhouse gases). Carbon below the ground – in the soil – is good (look up carbon sequestration).
The two are directly linked. More carbon sequestered or stored in the ground means less carbon in the atmosphere. Carbon is constantly being moved between the atmosphere and the ground, and living, breathing plants are the connection between the two forms, via photosynthesis.