uniteLANDWORKER - Summer 2026 by Mark Metcalf
Thanks to soil, Earth
harbours life and it is the only planet known to do so, yet nobody has written
about the evolution of soil before.
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That’s about to radically
change because Unite’s own soil scientist Dr Charles Clutterbuck, has written a
new book.
On the origin of soils is due to be published by 5m Books in the autumn and will mark a
lifetime ambition that Charlie first considered over six decades ago.
That’s when, over a period
of three years, Charlie counted half a million small soil animals largely
consisting of springtails, (which Charlie calculates have been around for 400
million years,) mites and nematodes.
Oe small group of mites,
called oribatids are possibly the most important group of animals on earth, according
to socio-biologist E.O. Wilson.
Charlie told Landworker, “I
was certain someone would write a book on soil evolution, but it has never
happened. As I approach very old age I knew I must do it.”
Charli has modelled his
style of writing on Charles Darwin’s On the origin of species classic
book “that ordinary people were able to understand but also ensured learned
scientists could learn a lot from.”
Charlie is convinced it will
also be possible to later produce a children’s book graphically explaining
what’s going on beneath their feet and why it is essential to preserve this
unique environment.
It is only in relatively
recent times that soil began to be universally recognised as living matter.
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Yet, Charlie calculates it
first began to perform such a vital role 500m years ago. That’s double the time
since insects first began to flourish.
“Insects must have come from
soil, the skin of the earth and the bringer of all life,” states Charlie.
Karl Marx was a big fan of
Darwin, whose works gave a natural explanation of how things can change. ‘Ol
Karl’ believed the source of all wealth is labour. To which he mixed ‘soil’,
discussing this with the then leading agricultural chemist, Liebig, resulting
in realising the value - his favourite word - of soil as part of his broader
critique on capitalism and its impact on the environment.
Sadly, soil’s value appears
to have been treated like dirt. Worldwide over 2,000 gigatons of soil (a gigaton
= one billion metric tonnes) has been lost in the last 40 years; that took
between 400,000 and 4 million years to build. That amounts to a gigaton of
carbon a year.
But have you heard anybody
mention this? There is talk about soil ‘sequestration’ - capturing carbon - and
this was forefront at Davos World Economic Forum conference a couple of
years back. But they see the answer in ‘carbon trading, now a trillion-pound
market.
How and where can we raise
awareness of this? The answer - as Arthur Fallowfield in BBC’s ‘Beyond our Ken’
comedy series between 1958 and 1964 would have said: “lies in the soil.”
Farmworkers needed to save
the soil and planet
Who better to see what is
going on, than farmworkers? Why are we not training them, and paying them, to
see where and how the degradation and erosion of soil - 3million tons in UK
each year - is occurring.
Instead of contributing to
carbon trading market, why not invest directly in those best placed to see what
is going on, so they can suggest ways to improve it.
This has been achieved at
places such as the Incredible Farm in Todmorden which now grows 1
million tons of food on previously infertile land. It’s a case that is made
in On the origin of soils.
Charlie
is keen to speak about the book at meetings but as a full-time carer it needs to
be by zoom. Get in touch with him on charlie@sustainablefood.com
Charlie’s book follows a
film produced on his behalf by Dave Hackney and Mark Metcalf aimed
at encouraging debate about food and farming and that could be used by
communities or online.
The film, JUST GROW TO EAT is a 30-minute journey across north west England explaining
developments in Britain’s countryside. Charlie highlights that due to supermarket
dominance, food imports continue growing at the expense of the environment,
people’s health, real green jobs and rural communities.
Charlie also outlines how growing
food locally could help people on low incomes by creating more jobs on the land.
It would require about £3bn in subsidies, around what Britain once received
back from the EU.
Here are some of the main
points from the film for you to discuss and decide what demands to make within
your own sphere of influence.
1.
Cut down on Ultra-Processed Foods:.
How can you tell what you’re eating is ultra-processed, and how can you reduce
their use? Lobby governments to include in any future plans to reduce obesity.
2.
Increase access to land for communities to grow more local food. Allotments are under more threat-with more building. Are there ways to
protect them and promote growing areas within building developments?
3.
Encourage debate about who owns the land and how we can have more say in
what is grown there. E.g. is using 3 million
acres of land for grouse shooting really a sustainable use of resources?
4. Promote the £3bn ‘old EU
subsidy’ money so it can be used to help poorer people buy locally produced
better food.
5. Introduce ‘seed’ funding. To stimulate new ‘green’ economies, linking town and country, thus
creating ‘real’ green jobs, growing more food.
6. How do we get and keep our
best resource, good soil.
7. Add ‘food and farming’ to debates
about greening the economy.
Most industrial strategies talk about energy, cars, steel, batteries,
emissions, and targets - but rarely a mention of the greatest carbon-capture
and storage units - plants.
Find out more
To
watch Charlie’s film Just grow to eat visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu3HJtbXvd8
You
can also subscribe to Charlie’s YouTube channel @CharlieClutterbuck
You
can but this book On the origin of soils from retailers in the autumn.
Charlie
is keen to speak about the book at meetings by zoom. Get in touch with him on charlie@sustainablefood.com
Visit Incredible Farm, Mankinholes Bank, OL14 6JA https://incrediblefarm.co.uk
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