How do microplastics affect food safety? In this video, MINAGRS partner Dr Huerta Lwanga of Wageningen University and Research discusses the issue of plastic use in agriculture (fertilizer, compost, mulch, sludge etc.). Microplastics in soil affect soil life and crop growth; these plastic particles can additionally migrate through the soil food chain and eventually into the crops. Huerta Lwanga’s work has found that soil diversity and soil ecosystem services change due to the presence of microplastics. So, what does this mean for the environment and food safety? Watch this video to find out.
This video, filmed by Marina Pintar whilst on holiday in Croatia, shows an ant colony carrying plastic debris across an agricultural field. MINAGRIS will strive to assess the environmental implications of having these plastics present in soils across Europe.
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 oceans1. MINAGRIS, an EU-funded project which launches today, will explore how plastic debris is affecting soil biodiversity, soil functions, related ecosystem services, and agricultural productivity.
Our first MINAGRIS blog has now been published. Read and share if you'd like to learn more about what plastics are, the extent to which they are used in agriculture across Europe, and the potential environmental health threats posed by plastic debris in soil.
Photo credits: Plastics Europe, Wageningen Food & Biobased research, Tuinadvies, Kalliergeia, Future Farming, Teal Agrotechnologies
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