Impacts of plastics on soil health and agricultural productivity

“The impacts of plastic debris on soil health are largely unknown despite equal, or possibly greater, amounts of plastics entering soils as are reaching our rivers, seas, and oceans” - new Horizon 2020 project MINAGRIS will set up 11 case studies across Europe to look at the impacts of plastics on soil health and agricultural productivity. The project will then provide farmers and other stakeholders tools and recommendations for sustainable use of plastic in agriculture at the farm and field levels to ensure safe and economically viable food systems in Europe. More info on the project. 

• Watch this MINAGRIS video of ants carrying plastic debris across an agricultural field. 
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Another project also striving to protect soils by achieving a better understanding of the impacts and life-cycles of plastic pollution is ‘twin’ Horizon 2020 project PAPILLONS. “Soils may represent the largest global environmental reservoirs of micro(nano)plastic. Plastics reach farmed soils through the use of biological contaminated fertilisers (such as sewage sludge and some types of compost), wastewater irrigation, runoff from roadways and atmospheric deposition. Some of the ways in which we use agricultural plastics, along with mismanagement of plastic waste, are also an important source of pollution,” – says Luca Nizzetto, project coordinator- “Through this project we study the sources, behaviour and ecological effects of micro and nanoplastics in agricultural soils. The project will deliver knowledge and help farmers, industries, regulators and policy makers to introduce practices, products and instruments that guarantee the safe use of agricultural plastics and promote the sustainability of farming systems.”

• Project website
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