Declining soil quality: Vegetables now half as nutritious as they were 60 years ago – Report

A new study has revealed that fruits and vegetables have lost up to 50 per cent of their nutritional value since the 1960s, raising concerns about declining soil quality and public health.

According to The Telegraph, researchers at Deep Science Ventures found that several crops had lost between 20 and 50 per cent of essential nutrients, including potassium, magnesium and copper.

The researchers attributed the decline to deteriorating soil conditions and selective crop breeding that prioritises rapid growth over nutritional quality.

Will Summers, a senior associate at Deep Science Ventures, said: “For 60 years we’ve measured food security in calories and tonnes per hectare.

“On those measures we’ve done remarkably well. But we’ve been quietly hollowing out what’s inside our food.”

Summers identified peas, carrots and onions among the affected vegetables, warning that consumers may now need twice as many vegetables to obtain certain minerals available six decades ago.

The findings have raised questions about Britain’s recommendation to consume five portions of fruits and vegetables daily.

Researchers warned that vegetarians, vegans and people taking weight-loss medications could face greater nutritional risks.

Summers said: “As weight-loss drugs mean people eat less, the nutritional quality of every bite starts to matter much more.”

The report estimated that five million British adults using weight-loss treatments could be consuming insufficient essential nutrients.

Researchers recommended environmentally friendly farming practices to restore soil health and improve crop nutritional quality.

They also urged greater support for farmers adopting sustainable agricultural methods to address declining soil fertility and food quality.