Tech
Why The World Is Running Out Of Soil
Critical topsoil is eroding at an alarming pace due to climate change and poor farming practices. The United Nations declared soil finite and predicted catastrophic loss within 60 years. The world needs soil for farming, water filtration, climate mitigation, ecosystem services, health care and more. The impact of soil degradation could total $23 trillion in losses of food, ecosystem services and income worldwide by 2050, according to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. According to the UN, soil erosion may reduce up to 10 per cent of crop yields by 2050. That’s like removing millions of acres of farm land.
“There are places that have already lost all of their topsoil,” Jo Handelsman, author of “A World Without Soil,” and a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told CNBC.
“We have identified 10 soil threats in our global report … Soil erosion is number one because it’s taking place everywhere,” Ronald Vargas, the secretary of the Global Soil Partnership and Land and Water Officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, told CNBC.
According to the U.N., soil erosion may reduce up to 10% of crop yields by 2050, which is the equivalent of removing millions of acres of farmland.
And when the world loses soil, food supply, clean drinking water and biodiversity are threatened.
What’s more, soil plays an important role in mitigating climate change.
Soil contains more than three times the amount of carbon in the earth’s atmosphere and four times as much in all living plants and animals combined, according to the Columbia Climate School.
“Soil is the habitat for over a quarter of the planet’s biodiversity. Each gram of soil contains millions of cells of bacteria and fungi that play a very important role in all ecosystem services,” Reza Afshar, chief scientist at the regenerative agriculture research farm at the Rodale Institute, told CNBC.
The Rodale Institute in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, is known as the birthplace of modern organic agriculture.
“The projects we do here are centered around improving and rebuilding soil health. We have a farming system trial that’s been running for 42 years,” Afshar said. It is the longest-running side-by-side comparison of organic and conventional grain cropping systems in North America.
The research has found regenerative, organic agriculture produces yields up to 40% higher during droughts, can earn farmers greater profits and releases 40% fewer carbon emissions than conventional agricultural practices.
How’s that possible? The Rodale Institute says it all starts with the soil.
“When we talk about healthy soil, we are talking about all aspects of the soil, chemical, physical and biological that should be in a perfect status to be able to produce healthy food for us,” Afshar said.
It’s critical, of course, because the world relies on soil for 95% of our food production. But that’s just the beginning of its importance.
“The good news is that we know enough to get to work,” Dianna Bagnall, a research soil scientist at the Soil Health Institute, told CNBC.
Watch the video above to learn more about why we’re facing a silent soil crisis, how soil can be saved and what that means for the world.
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Why The World Is Running Out Of Soil
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Investors will be closely watching this year’s Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting on Saturday as Greg Abel takes center stage as the company’s new leader. Abel, who took the baton from Warren Buffett in January, will host the annual gathering for the first time as CEO. The Oracle of Omaha will still be at the event but it’s Abel’s turn to shine. CNBC’s Yun Li reports on what investors are expecting from this year’s meeting and how the firm may shape up in the post-Buffett era.
Reporter: Yun Li
Produced, Shot and Edited by: Kaan Oguz
Managing Producer: Anuz Thapa
Production Support: CJ Haddad
Senior Director of Video: Lindsey Jacobson
Additional Footage: Getty Images
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Greg Abel Will Take The Stage From Warren Buffett At Berkshire Meeting
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Automakers, battery makers and suppliers directed hundreds of billions of dollars into electric vehicle investments across the U.S. in recent years, and almost half of that had been planned for the South.
But companies have now canceled EV plans and some have faced write-downs.
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Investors are bullish on the emerging crop of companies known as neoclouds, which focus on AI-dedicated computing infrastructure, even as industry insiders warn it will take longer for these ventures to become profitable than markets currently expect. CNBC’s Tobias Burns reports on the enthusiasm for neoclouds and the concerns surrounding them.
Reporter: Tobias Burns
Produced by: Jeff Huang
Shot and Edited by: Kaan Oguz
Production Support: CJ Haddad
Managing Producer: Anuz Thapa
Senior Director of Video: Lindsey Jacobson
Additional Footage: Getty Images
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About CNBC: From ‘Wall Street’ to ‘Main Street’ to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more.
Want to get ahead at work? Then you need to learn how to make effective small talk. In CNBC’s new online course, How To Talk To People At Work, expert instructors teach you how to use everyday conversation to gain visibility, build meaningful relationships and advance your career. Use coupon code EARLYBIRD for 20% off. Offer valid from April 20, 2026 to May 4, 2026. Terms apply. https://cnb.cx/4sGlSkh
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Why Investors Are Bullish On Neoclouds
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Tesla began rolling out xAI’s Grok AI chatbot in its cars in July 2025. It’s still in beta mode. Tesla is not the only automaker adding AI assistants to vehicles. Volvo, Rivian, Mercedes, BMW and others are all integrating AI into their cars even though the tech is still in its infancy. CNBC’s Rob Ferris takes a ride with attorney and Tesla Model Y owner Mike Nelson in New York City to see how he uses Grok and to find out how it integrates into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised).
Reporting by Robert Ferris, Lora Kolodny
Camera and Editing by Erin Black
Senior Director of Video Jeniece Pettitt
Additional Camera Macklin Fishman, Darren Geeter
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About CNBC: From ‘Wall Street’ to ‘Main Street’ to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more.
Want to get ahead at work? Then you need to learn how to make effective small talk. In CNBC’s new online course, How To Talk To People At Work, expert instructors teach you how to use everyday conversation to gain visibility, build meaningful relationships and advance your career. Use coupon code EARLYBIRD for 20% off. Offer valid from April 20, 2026 to May 4, 2026. Terms apply. https://cnb.cx/4sGlSkh
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We Tried xAI’s Grok Chatbot In A Tesla — Is It A Dangerous Distraction?
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As Hollywood bleeds jobs and productions flee Los Angeles, a new hybrid studio called Innovative Dreams is betting AI can reverse the tide. Backed by Amazon Web Services and AI company Luma, the company combines the LED backdrops of virtual production with AI tools across the entire pipeline, preserving actor performances and traditional filmmaking techniques while dramatically cutting costs and timelines. The first project to use the technology, The Old Stories: Moses, a three-part series starring Ben Kingsley, shot over 40 locations in a single week on an LA soundstage, a job that would have taken a traditional production over a month. But as AI reshapes filmmaking, questions remain about whether it will create jobs, or quietly eliminate them. CNBC’s Julia Boorstin explores whether this new wave of AI-powered production could become a defining force in the future of Hollywood.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:41 Chapter 1 – Lights, camera, AI
4:42 Chapter 2 – Innovative Dreams
8:16 Chapter 3 – Hollywood’s future
Senior Correspondent: Julia Boorstin
Produced, Shot and Edited by: Andrew Evers
Senior Field Producer: Stephen Desaulniers
Senior Director of Video: Jeniece Pettitt
Additional Footage: Getty Images, Innovative Dreams
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About CNBC: From ‘Wall Street’ to ‘Main Street’ to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more.
Want to get ahead at work? Then you need to learn how to make effective small talk. In CNBC’s new online course, How To Talk To People At Work, expert instructors teach you how to use everyday conversation to gain visibility, build meaningful relationships and advance your career. Use coupon code EARLYBIRD for 20% off. Offer valid from April 20, 2026 to May 4, 2026. Terms apply. https://cnb.cx/4sGlSkh
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How An Amazon-Backed Hollywood Production Startup Deploys AI For Speed And Cost-Cutting
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