A Nation That Destroys Its Soil Destroys Itself

Is Monchique a small-scale example of what happens when we neglect the land beneath us?

Soil is easy to take for granted. It sits beneath our feet, often unnoticed, until it is washed away, blown away, compacted, contaminated or left bare. Yet healthy soil underpins our food, stores water, supports living systems and helps communities remain resilient. When we damage it, the consequences reach far beyond the field.

Could Monchique be a small-scale example of what happens when a society allows its land to deteriorate?

Across the region, many farms and plots have been abandoned. The reasons are familiar: an ageing population, fewer people available to work the land, rising costs and too few reliable ways for small producers to earn a living. Abandonment is not the same thing as rewilding. Rewilding is a deliberate approach to restoring natural processes and ecological function. Abandonment, by itself, may leave land without the care or planning needed to keep it healthy and safe.

When land is left unmanaged, vegetation can build up and connect across a landscape. In hot, dry conditions, that can provide fuel for severe fires. The risk depends on the terrain, vegetation, weather and how the land is managed; abandonment does not make every plot certain to burn. But where fuel accumulates beside roads, homes and other infrastructure, the consequences can be serious. Fire can threaten people and property, damage soils and water systems, disrupt tourism and businesses, and place a heavy burden on the local economy.

Abandoned land may also be accessible to people who do not treat the countryside responsibly. Rubbish, discarded materials, unsafe fires and damage to paths or property can add to the problems. These risks are not inevitable, but they become harder to prevent when nobody is present to care for the land or report what is happening.

Wildlife is part of a healthy landscape. The issue is not that wild animals are present, nor that every animal population must be controlled. But when a population grows beyond what the land and its management can sustain, the effects can become damaging. In Monchique, the rooting of wild boar can tear up soil and vegetation, damage irrigation and terraces, and undermine the work of landowners trying to restore the ground. That damage matters especially where soil is already fragile or exposed.

Soil is lost in many ways. Wind and water erode bare ground. Heavy machinery and repeated traffic compact it. Excessive or poorly managed cultivation can break down soil structure. Chemicals and pollution can harm soil life. When organic matter falls and the ground is left uncovered, the soil becomes less able to hold water, support crops and recover after drought or fire.

Land abandonment can contribute to this decline, even when nobody sets out to destroy the soil. Without active stewardship, erosion may go unchecked, water may run off rather than soak in, vegetation may become a fire hazard, and damage may go unrepaired. In that sense, abandonment can lead towards the same outcome as more direct forms of soil destruction: land that is less productive, less resilient and harder for the next generation to restore.

This is not an argument for clearing every wild place or turning every hillside into a farm. It is an argument for caring about what happens to the land. Some places should be left to recover; others need grazing, pruning, fire breaks, tree care, water management or cultivation. The right response depends on the place. What matters is having a plan, the people and resources to carry it out, and the knowledge to learn from the results.

At Raízes da Montanha, we are trying to rebuild soil life with cover crops, mulch, compost, careful water management and a mix of trees and productive plants. We have had to make practical choices along the way, including lightly breaking compacted ground and covering it again quickly. Restoration is not instant, and there is no single method that fits every terrace. It takes observation, patience and the willingness to adapt.

A nation that destroys its soil destroys the foundations of its own future. It weakens food production, increases vulnerability to drought and fire, and leaves communities with fewer ways to sustain themselves. Monchique may be a small example, but the questions it raises are much larger: who cares for abandoned land, what support do land stewards need, and how do we make restoration a viable livelihood?

The first step is to stop treating soil and land stewardship as someone else's problem. Healthy soil is not simply a farmer's concern. It is part of the security, economy and future of every community.