On bicycle from Paris to India via Oman

To save our soil from degeneration and to increase the organic content in the soil as a means of the existence of all living creatures, a French woman has been pushing the pedals of her bicycle for more than 15, 000 kilometers and has arrived in Muscat Enroute her journey from France to India.

Nathalie Masse, a psychologist by profession and a passionate cyclist since childhood has always wanted to educate her surroundings about the importance of saving our soil and keeping it as fertile and diverse as it is today, embarked upon the journey that covers more than 15,000 kilometers from the origin to the final destination.

"It was an alarm call when he said if we don't take action now, we will have difficulty in the next 40 years and we will be inadvertently putting the next generations, our children, in danger," says Nathalie.

Inspired by the speech of Indian environmentalist Sadhguru on the importance of protecting our environment, she embarked upon the tour on June 21 in London after Sadhguru launched his 'Save Soil' campaign which will conclude in February 2023 in the Indian state of Coimbatore.

"My journey, 'Wheels for Soil' is an effort to complement his call through 'Save Soil' an initiative to address soil crisis, because it is the means of existence for at least 3.5 billion people as it preserves clean water and helps regulate the climate," she adds.

Save Soil is a global movement that aims to address the soil crisis by bringing together people from around the world to stand up for soil health, and supporting leaders of all nations to institute national policies and actions toward the cause.

"We are facing a huge threat by our own actions as soil degradation can reduce agricultural yields and threaten farmers' livelihoods. It is the same soil that provides plenty of free services to the whole planet. It puts food on our plates, purifies our water, protects us against flooding, and combats drought. And I was really shocked to listen to the environmentalist which triggered a thought in me and here I am," she said.

After visiting many countries including Turkey, Bulgaria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, and UAE, and pedaling her bicycle and traveling by air for more than 15,000 kilometers, she arrived in Oman, which is her 9th country and will conclude the single-woman journey in India, the 10th stop.

"Oman is a well-kept secret and it shines like an oasis in the middle of the deserts of the region. I saw very green areas from Shinas to Muscat, some nice people and welcoming shoppers."

She has been followed by thousands of people on her social media accounts and wherever she goes she has been able to find some groups of people ready to help her and provide her with food, shelter, and other services.

"The cost of my travel was raised through crowdfunding but after starting my journey, I was amazed to see that people have been following me throughout and wherever I go, there would be a group of many groups of people ready to help me and thus, my journey has been hassle-free. No complaints."

She advises everyone to take a few measures by which all can be a part of this global campaign. It is by growing vegetables in our own back garden, using compost, growing soil-saving plants, supporting soil-friendly agroecological farming, and finally, sharing a word or two on saving our soil with one's friend.

"The aim of my journey is nothing but to save our soil which is the very basis of our own existence and for the simple fact that there is no food security without healthy soils. I am also aiming to tackle climate change as it captures and stores vast amounts of carbon and if I can be the reason for someone's thought process, I will be glad," she concluded, adding "What we need is some laws to be made by the states and implement them with full vigor and offenders should be penalized", before packing her bicycle for her next destination.

Nathalie addressed the students of ABA on Tuesday and shared thoughts on environment protection and sustainable activities.