Rattan Lal’s research demonstrated that healthy soils could simultaneously increase agricultural productivity, restore degraded land, and remove carbon from the atmosphere through large-scale sequestration. Conducted over decades at Ohio State University, his work transformed soil health from an agricultural concern into a central pillar of climate policy. Recognized with the World Food Prize, Lal’s research influenced American and global approaches to sustainable agriculture, land management, food security, and climate resilience.
