The Central Role of Organic Matter in Soil Sustainability

Abstract

Written by two agronomic engineers, this article analyzes the role of soil organic matter as a nutrient reserve and guarantor of productive sustainability, explaining how its content and quality vary according to soil-forming factors. The authors describe the main human practices that accelerate organic-matter degradation and compromise food security: deep tillage without rest periods, introduction of exotic microorganisms, irrational use of chemical fertilizers, soil compaction, pesticide accumulation, and burning during field preparation. The text concludes that much soil deterioration has human origins, and argues for agroecological principles that preserve organic matter as the fundamental substrate of food security.