It all started when…

by NPF & GPDR AI update Sep. 2026

…when I app. 30 years ago - started becoming aware that life on the planet could be in serious danger since the earth - the humus - we use to grow all plants, trees etc. we live from - is in grave danger of disappearing over the coming decades - or big parts of it.

Its not something humans talk taht much about since there are so many other maybe more immediate issues to tackle - here and now. I decided to try to make more awareness around this theme through various art and design developments / concepts / visions.

The WONDERQWORLDCOMPOdo - and MERDE MAGIQUE are both projects deriving from this issue. The projects are not only addressing the issues but also showing kinds of solutions.

- a bit more factual info and my reasons for working with the topic…

As of 2026, soil degradation is a worsening global crisis. According to the FAO's Status of the World's Soil Resources 2026 report, approximately 58% of regional assessments show worsening soil conditions compared to 2015, while only about 10% show improvement - see more.

The primary issues facing soil and humus (organic matter) today include:

1. Loss of Soil Organic Matter (Humus)

The degradation of humus is a critical driver of food insecurity. The loss of soil organic carbon is predicted to cause a 4.3% decrease in staple crop yields, which represents the caloric needs for roughly 640 million people - see more 6.

Because humus is essential for nutrient cycling, water retention, and soil structure, its depletion makes land less resilient to climate extremes.

2. Major Physical and Chemical Threats

Current assessments identify several interconnected threats that accelerate land degradation 2:

• Soil Erosion: This is the most severe threat; 81% of assessments rate erosion management as poor or very poor - see more 6.

• Nutrient Mismanagement: In regions like India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, there are unsustainably high nitrogen surpluses. Crops in these areas absorb only 30–45% of applied nitrogen, far below the global average of 59% - see more 6.

• Salinization and Acidification: The buildup of salts and changes in pH levels are rendering large tracts of land unfit for cultivation - see more 6.

• Pollution and Sealing: Chemical contamination and "soil sealing" (covering soil with impermeable surfaces like concrete) further reduce biological productivity - see more 2.

3. Regional Impact: example - South Asia

South Asia is facing particularly acute challenges. In India, an estimated 30–37% of land is degraded, with approximately 83 million hectares affected by water erosion alone. The country is losing between 4.8 and 5.3 billion tonnes of soil annually - see more 6.

To combat these issues, the FAO and UNCCD have moved toward "integrated landscape management," focusing on holistic restoration rather than isolated projects - see more 6.

If you want to know more about the issues please research more yourself. If you want to see more about how we can possibly help changing things then come visit me on one of my 2 destinations / galleries / showrooms in Denmark.

You can see some about me and the galleries here on this site - or click here

Below here the confirmation for the WONDERWORLDCOMPOdo project to take part in the COP21 in Paris in 2015 - it unfortunately was cancelled more or less last minute due to security issues.