Earth Carers

Soil biology products (biostimulants, mycorrhizal inoculants, microbial amendments)

Problem areaFarming

Food and farming are destroying the land they depend on

5/13

Our food system is caught in a destructive cycle. Modern agriculture feeds billions of people, but it's systematically destroying the very resources it depends on — soil, water, forests, and climate stability.

Livestock farming alone uses nearly 80% of agricultural land while producing just 18% of our calories. Industrial crop production relies heavily on fossil fuel-derived fertilizers that pollute waterways and strip soil of its natural fertility. Meanwhile, we're clearing forests at an alarming rate to create more farmland, even as we waste a third of all food produced.

This isn't sustainable. We need technologies that can maintain food security while regenerating the land, reducing emissions, and working within planetary boundaries.

Problem

Industrial farming is stripping the health from the soil it depends on

3/5

Intensive agriculture has degraded about a third of the world's arable land. Constant tilling breaks up soil structure, while monocultures and heavy chemical use destroy the complex web of microorganisms that keep soil healthy.

Healthy soil is teeming with billions of bacteria, fungi, and other organisms that help plants access nutrients, fight diseases, and store carbon. Industrial farming practices have reduced soil organic matter by 50-70% in many regions, making crops more vulnerable to drought, pests, and diseases while reducing the soil's ability to store carbon.

Solution approach

Soil biology products (biostimulants, mycorrhizal inoculants, microbial amendments)

5/7

Products that introduce beneficial microorganisms to soil or stimulate the growth of existing soil biology. These can improve nutrient availability, disease resistance, and soil structure while reducing the need for synthetic inputs.

This includes mycorrhizal fungi that form partnerships with plant roots, beneficial bacteria that fix nitrogen or solubilize phosphorus, and biostimulants that enhance plant stress tolerance. The challenge is ensuring these products survive and establish in different soil conditions and farming systems.

Companies

No companies found for this solution approach.