One of India's most well-known spiritual leaders is riding a motorcycle from London to India for 100 days to raise awareness of one of nature's most undervalued commodities: soil. Sadhguru, also known as Jaggi Vasudev, is embarking on a 30,000-kilometer (18,600-mile) journey through Europe and the Middle East to "save soil," visiting celebrities, environmentalists, and influencers in dozens of nations along the way.
The trip is part of his #SaveSoil campaign, which urges governments to prioritize soil regeneration. According to the United Nations, a third of the world's soil is deteriorated, with more than 90% of it potentially destroyed by 2050.
According to the UN's fight against desertification, it can take 1,000 years to generate a few millimeters of soil.
"I'm not a scientist or an environmentalist," she says. "I belong on the land, not in the lab," Sadhguru explained, "but I'm aware of the soil issue, so I'm talking to as many heads of state, legislators, leaders, top scientists, and influencers as possible."
At public events in cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Geneva, and Tel Aviv, the 64-year-old motorbike enthusiast and yoga guru, who counts Jane Goodall, Deepak Chopra, and will.i.am among his supporters, will be joined by celebrities such as Colombian singer-songwriter Maluma, England rugby player Jonny Wilkinson, and German footballer Michael Ballack.
He's been touring radio and TV studios in the run-up to the trip, including Trevor Noah's The Daily Show in the US, ITV's This Morning, and Chris Evans' radio breakfast show.
"We're using motorcycles and music to connect with people so that the world's 3.5 billion people understand that we need to solve this problem right now if we want to make a meaningful change in the next 10 to 15 years.
It's about bringing science into a social moment because if we don't do that, nothing will change," he explained.
So far, 14 countries have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to ensure global soil health, including Barbados, Guyana, and Dominica.
Sadhguru hopes that as he rides through Europe, more of the UN's 193 member states will join him.
"Agriculture is a practical, economic, and survival endeavor," Sadhguru explained, "that must be done prudently according to local conditions."
"So we're not against fertilizers or pesticides – yeah, they need to be managed – but we need laws, guidelines, and incentives that increase organic content in the soil first since the soil is a living organism," he says.
"We can't talk about climate change without talking about soil health," Sadhguru remarked. "No government will make long-term investments unless citizens make a strong statement, thus from 21st March for 100 days, we want the entire earth to talk about soil."
