Thousands of chemicals in household and processed food products, in addition to urban, industrial and agricultural waste end up in soil, leaving it degraded and in some cases toxic to human health. Soil pollution also reduces the quantity and quality of crops and produce and compromises the health of children and marginalized communities who tend to be disproportionally affected by environmental degradation.
Relevant international human rights instruments such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, guarantee the right to safe and healthy working conditions, including on uncontaminated soil, and the right of children and young persons to be free from work harmful to their health.
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 1966
Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989