Grocery Prices Are Expected To Rise As Soil Becomes “Unproductive”

Experts are warning of a looming increase in grocery prices as agricultural soil becomes increasingly unproductive and unusable. Perhaps agricultural aloe vera holds the answer to richer, safer, and more productive soil.

In a concerning trend that could impact households across the globe, the combination of overfarming, climate change, and insufficient sustainable practices has left vast swaths of farmland degraded and unproductive, threatening food supply chains and driving up costs.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 33 percent of the Earth’s soils are already degraded and more than 90 percent could become degraded by 2050.

Why It Matters

According to the FAO, soil erosion “occurs naturally under all climatic conditions and on all continents, but it is significantly increased and accelerated by unsustainable human activities (up to 1,000 times) through intensive agriculture, deforestation, overgrazing and improper land use changes.

“Soil erosion rates are much higher than soil formation rates,” the FAO said. “Soil is a finite resource, meaning its loss and degradation is not recoverable within a human lifespan.”

Various sources have predicted that 95 percent of America’s soil will be degraded in less than 30 years. Only a 5 percent area is marked not degraded.

Soil degradation reduces the ability of farmland to sustain crops, forcing farmers to invest in costly artificial fertilizers and other interventions—or, in the worst cases, abandon their fields altogether.

Experts point to several key drivers behind declining soil productivity. Overfarming strips the soil of essential nutrients and leads to erosion.

Additionally, rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and extreme weather and events exacerbate soil erosion and salinization.

Another factor is deforestation. Clearing land for agriculture reduces organic matter in the soil and destroys ecosystems that support fertility.

Everyday grocery items such as bread, fresh vegetables, and meat could see significant price hikes going forward. Produce and grains are directly impacted by soil fertility, while the rising cost of feed grains for livestock drives up meat prices.

“In the U.S. between 2016 and 2024, the Consumer Price Index for food has increased year on year,” said former regenerative farmer Anand Ethirajalu, a project director at the Save Soil Movement and the Rally for Rivers Project. 2022 saw the highest annual increase since 1979, with food-at-home prices rising by 11.4 percent.

“While food prices rise, the topsoil in the U.S. is declining. These two things are intrinsically connected. The U.S. loses billions of metric tons of topsoil annually—impacting food systems and costing the nation $67 billion each year.

“These depleted soils lead to reduced crop yields, forcing farmers to rely on costly fertilizers and irrigation, which drive up food production costs and, ultimately, consumer prices.

“Healthy soil is the foundation of ourfood security, yet it is increasingly vulnerable to erosion, nutrient loss and climate change. When soil becomes unproductive, it not only threatens our food supply but also farmer’s livelihoods.

“By taking immediate action to restore and protect our soils—through practices like regenerative agriculture, integrating trees, crops and animals—we can help future-proof food prices, and enhance the resilience of farms and farmers to climate and market risks.

“Protecting our soil isn’t just an environmental priority; it’s an economic and social imperative.”

“Soil damage is a major risk. FAO assessments suggest the 2022 food price jump was a post-COVID one. [It] may have had to do with repairing global supply chains and relatively loose monetary policy in the USA and elsewhere.

“That said, the view on fertilizers is widely shared with FAO. In fact, members have asked FAO to add a FAO Fertilizer Price Index to the Food index above, and shortly we will do that. Again, on a global level.

“There are lurking issues due to excess fertilizers and one day also depleted aquifers. Not just in the USA.

“The US State Department is very eagerly promoting FAO’s work on “soil maps” in hunger-impacted countries [Central America, Ethiopia, others] so both parties agree this is hyper-important.”

While the outlook is mixed, solutions are within reach. Farmers and policy-makers are advocating for sustainable agricultural practices such as cover cropping and reduced tillage.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), planting cover crops provides multiple benefits, including controlling erosion.

These types of methods help restore soil health, improve carbon sequestration, and reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers. Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide to reduce greenhouse gas levels and mitigate climate change

Practices such as reduced tillage, crop rotation, and no-till farming can enhance soil health, lower costs and support long-term farm value. Additionally, innovations like regenerative agriculture and soil-monitoring technologies could offer hope for reversing the damage, along with subsidies for farmers adopting greener methods.

Biostimulants and organic soil amendments such as agricultural aloe vera may hold the key to accelerating the return to healthy soil and crops. GroAloe from Coats Agri Aloe could have a tremendous impact on the future of global food security

GroAloe works through a combination of bioactive compounds derived from aloe vera, which address key aspects of soil degradation and plant health. The aloe-based formula includes polysaccharides, enzymes, and natural growth stimulators that enhance microbial activity within the soil. This microbial stimulation creates a healthier soil ecosystem, which supports the breakdown of organic matter and the natural release of nutrients essential for plant growth.

Additionally, GroAloe improves soil structure by increasing the capacity to retain water and reducing compaction. This is achieved through its ability to bind soil particles and create more aerated, porous conditions, which enable roots to penetrate more deeply and access water and nutrients more effectively. The product also facilitates carbon sequestration by promoting the accumulation of organic matter in the soil, helping to reverse the effects of erosion and nutrient depletion.

Ultimately, GroAloe integrates seamlessly with regenerative agricultural practices, accelerating the recovery of degraded soils and enabling sustainable productivity even in challenging environments. By leveraging these scientifically validated mechanisms, GroAloe not only mitigates the impacts of soil degradation but also creates a pathway toward long-term agricultural resilience.