For the past year, Colorado State University Professor Kelly Wrighton has collaborated with a prestigious group of more than a dozen scientists on a national effort to examine the connections between soils and human health — an “understudied” topic that has important implications for improving the nutritional value of food, agricultural productivity and climate regulation.
“I really enjoyed working with medical doctors, soil scientists, microbiologists, nutritionists, food scientists and more to tackle a challenge of this magnitude,” said Wrighton, a CSU Bishop endowed professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. “This report underscores the need for a more integrated approach to health that includes the health of our planet. It also emphasizes that the health of our soils directly impacts the health of our communities.”
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, at the direction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, appointed the Committee on Exploring Linkages Between Soil Health and Human Health. The 300-page report includes chapters on topics such as chemical contaminants, soil microorganisms, food composition and agricultural management, identifying notable research gaps and making recommendations for how best to target federal funding in these areas.
As a member of the committee, Wrighton provided her expertise as a scientist who specializes in microbiomes — a term that refers to the collection of microorganisms present in a particular environment. The committee identified microbiome science as a critical area that is “underexplored” and worthy of additional research.
“One of the biggest takeaways for me was that soils are incredibly complex — different across different regions and even in the same plot,” Wrighton said. “Soils should be valued as an ecosystem. We need to start thinking of soils as more than a widget we turn to for enhanced food production and instead as an interconnected component that benefits all parts of the planet — including us humans.”
CSU’s Diana Wall, a world-renowned soil ecologist who passed away on March 25, had served as chair of the committee. The authors dedicated the report to Wall, writing, in part, “In addition to her groundbreaking science, Diana contributed her energy and expertise to National Academies committees for more than 35 years. She was a leader in the field of soil science and a delightful colleague. This report and each member of the committee benefited from her insights and curiosity.”
CSU SOURCE spoke with Wrighton about her efforts with this project and what she learned while working with a diverse, prestigious group of fellow scientists on the committee.
What was it like to be part of this project?
It was an incredible experience. The scope of the report is massive, linking the health of soils to the health of humans. To understand the linkages between those two domains, we first had to understand health and the factors that control and define wellness in each ecosystem. No small feat. Then we went on to find linkages between the two systems.
The assembled committee had vast expertise in these domains. This made it energizing — I really enjoyed working with medical doctors, soil scientists, microbiologists, nutritionists, food scientists and more to tackle a challenge of this magnitude. When you’re speaking across disciplines to develop a consensus opinion on diverse topics, you realize how much jargon scientists tend to bring to the conversation. I’d say this project has absolutely made me a more well-rounded, less jargon-y scientist who is more comfortable asking for clarification.
Why was this an important topic to explore?
As a committee, we used a “One Health” approach to frame the connections between the health of soils and humans. This concept emphasizes the importance of a holistic perspective in addressing health issues — meaning the health of people, animals and Earth systems are closely linked and interdependent.
What’s innovative about this report is that, often in the One Health framework, the focus is primarily on the health of humans and animals and the linkages between them. Earth systems, particularly soils, are a relatively neglected piece of the puzzle. Prior to our report, soils were the most poorly understood and unintegrated constituents of the environmental domain.
In this report, we provide scientific evidence showing the direct and indirect connections between soil health and human health, shedding light on this continuum. By highlighting these connections, we hope to foster a better understanding of the critical role soils play in our overall health and well-being.
What have you learned throughout this process?
I’ve learned so much from my committee members that I don’t know where to start. Science is complex and messy, meaning clear, irrefutable linkages between complex systems like soils and humans are rare, regardless of your area of expertise.
As scientists, we want to speak with certainty. When we started, I expected we would provide clear, consequential and direct linkages to the readers of the report. Meaning, “If you do this, you will see this.” Instead, much of our time on this report was spent addressing the uncertainty and proposing research solutions to better illuminate these absent, hazy or sometimes conflicted connections.
I also realized my own assumptions. For example, I presumed we would undoubtedly uncover certain linkages, such as healthier soils producing healthier foods. However, the scientific evidence didn’t support such an absolute statement. In fact, many of the nutritionally valuable phytochemicals in our foods are derived in response to environmental stress. The variation in data from vast crop species, different soil management and food processing practices, as well as human dietary needs and health, all contribute to this uncertainty. But as scientists, we love a puzzle! So, this just reaffirms that it is an exciting time to be working at the intersection of these disciplines. We have so much left to discover.
College of Agricultural Sciences
In the context of a changing climate, CSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences meets global challenges in food safety, food security, wellness and economic prosperity through the sustainable use of natural resources. On campus and at 11 research centers throughout the state, researchers partner with communities and industry to investigate potential improvements to food production and agribusiness. Through sustainability-focused academic programs, students engage in experiential learning as they develop the professional skills, technical expertise and cultural competencies needed to advance agriculture in Colorado and beyond.
