The Future of Soil and Land Stewardship - An exploration of stewardship in three scenarios

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More and more people also started gardening because it enhanced their
health in so many ways. Gardening reduces stress, reconnects us to nature,
contributes to a sense of agency and brings fresh food to the table. In the
countryside, monotonous lawns were turned (back) into vegetable gardens
and wildflower tapestries. In cities, urban agriculture took off and was
adopted on a large-scale. In Brussels for example, the cultivated public
surface area doubled every two years. As a result, around 1,000 hectares
were devoted to urban gardening by 2030, with no less than 8,000 residents
on the waiting list for an allotment garden.
GROWING MENTAL, SOCIAL AND SOIL CAPITAL
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Another positive outcome of gardening was the revival of local community
life, stimulated by the roll-out of a basic income which freed energy,
resources and time. Through gardening, people rebuilt their citizenship
skills. They learned from each other, swapped seeds, shared recipes and
enjoyed the blessings of a good harvest together. Citizens rediscovered how
simple daily actions have the power to change things. This regained sense
of purpose made people happier, more grateful and fulfilled. In contrast to
the ‘vaporous’ debate around climate change, soil stewardship gave people a
practical tool to enhance socio-economic and ecological resilience locally.
Of course, our attitudes didn’t change overnight. Interventions by advisors
was often needed as amateur gardeners still had access to a toxic cocktail
of herbicides and still used climate-destructive peat as a soil enhancer.
Salutogenesis too had a darker side. Being able to grow healthy food became
a status symbol, earning you serious career-points but also exposing you to
a lot of pressure. People also equipped themselves with an army of health
gadgets spitting out data on command. An overload of heart rates, calories,
energy levels, mineral intakes and blood pressures created a culture of health
anxiety. It made us feel controlled and guilty, instead of happy and healthy.
It took two generations to make soil stewardship culturally acceptable and
come to terms with our health in a healthy way. But once settled, the party
2 We Are Soil
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