Soil beyond food: furniture, clothes and electronics

Soil provides much more than food alone. Fibre crops, such as cotton and flax, originate in soil and become clothing and textiles. Forest soils sustain trees that provide timber for furniture, paper, construction, and even raw material for musical instruments. Biofuels — derived from maize, oilseeds, or grasses — also grow in soil.

Even everyday technologies are connected to soil. Metals used in smartphones, as well as minerals in glass, and building materials all originate from weathered rock and soil layers. These examples show that soil is a multifunctional provider underpinning modern life.

Bonus video (optional): BOKU documentary (~7 min) on how tin mining affects local soils on Bangka Island, Indonesia, and rehabilitation measures.