Ranching and animal-based farming over the past four millennia have eroded almost all the soil in the Alps, gravely imperilling the European mountain ecosystem.
On the 14th of July 2025, new research revealed that ranching and animal-based farming over the past four millennia have eroded almost all the soil in the Alps, gravely imperilling the European mountain ecosystem. Scientists have found that activities such as grazing animals have accelerated soil loss dramatically, stripping away the precious carbon-rich earth that had slowly formed since the glaciers retreated.
William Rapuc, French National Centre for Scientific Research, said to the New Scientist, “We destroyed the soils at a rate four to 10 times faster than they grew”. By analysing lithium isotopes in sediments from Lake Bourget in the French Alps, Rapuc and his team reconstructed the history of soil erosion in the region over the past 10,000 years. These isotopes act as markers, revealing whether soil is accumulating or vanishing. For thousands of years, soil changes tracked with climate patterns, until about 3,800 years ago, when the pattern shifted sharply. Rapuc said, “What’s not explained by climate… has to be explained by the impact of humanity”.
Three major spikes in soil loss were identified, each blamed on distinct forms of human exploitation of the land. The first, 3,800 to 3,000 years ago, stemmed from animal grazing at higher altitudes. The second, from 2,800 to 1,600 years ago, was driven by farming at lower elevations. The most recent surge, starting 1,600 years ago and continuing today, is due to intensive agribusiness using ploughs and other destructive tools. These practices have left the Alps highly vulnerable to further wind and water erosion and have drastically reduced their ability to support vegetation and harvests.
The scientists refer to the period beginning 3,800 years ago as the start of a local “soil Anthropocene” — a new epoch where human activity has overwhelmed natural soil formation.
In the US, a similar phenomenon, although more recent, has seen soil erode up to 1,000 times faster than during pre-industrial times. Daniel Rath of the Natural Resources Defense Council said, “We are fundamentally shifting how soils are actually formed and developed because of our agricultural activities.”
Original source: https://veganfta.com
https://www.animalagricultureclimatechange.org/animal-agriculture-destroying-planet/
