Agriculture is a major contributor to global carbon dioxide emission according to Prof. Rattan Lal, distinguished professor at the Ohio State University, USA who presented on marginal soils at Tropentag 2011 . He defined marginal soils as “soils of poor quality and characterized by low ecosystem functions and services”. He also underscored the linkages between soils and the ecosystem and spoke about the importance of soil for humanity. He said that when soils get marginalized, people also get marginalized and that when farming occurs, nutrients are removed and these nutrients must be replaced one way or another, otherwise soils then get marginalized. According to him, if the millennium development goals would be achieved, then soils should be taken more seriously and properly protected. Soil degradation Land is needed for human settlement especially with population growth and urbanization, and Prof. Lal estimates that up to about 400, 000 ha of land is needed per year for one million people which means that about 3 million ha is converted to areas of human habitation each year. Another cause of soil degradation he mentioned is the use of top soil for brick/block making as well as use of soil for sale. He stated that, “soils can provide for our needs but not our greed”. Global food demand will double over a period of 1990 to 2050 and unless soil texture is improved, fertility does not change. Prof. Lal advised that humanity must not take soils for granted if food production is to be increased and that a global soil forum is required to provide a healthy soil for a healthy people. Human greed Prof. Lal indicated that soils get marginalized because of human greed, poor planning, and short sightedness and that governance and public awareness play an important role in protecting soils. He also quoted the law of marginality which states that “marginal soils cultivated by marginal means produce marginal yields and support marginal living”. This implies that to reverse the situation of marginal production and marginal people, we must avoid marginal soils. Climate change was not left out of the considerations and Prof. Lal said agricultural cultivation is one of the major sources of carbon dioxide explaining that soils can be a sink or source of Green House Gases (GHGs) depending on land management. Prof. Lal is of the view that even elite varieties should be on optimal soils otherwise the productivity does not increase. Conclusion In conclusion, he opined that we must build upon traditional knowledge if modern innovation is going to be a success. Also, he stated that planet earth has problems if the next generation would do the same kind of things as we are doing.