A gardener from Amsterdam has begun a 30,000-kilometer (18,640-mile) bicycle trek from London to India as part of a campaign to raise awareness about soil degradation, in a journey that will see him travel across 30 countries and will last an estimated two years.
Gardener Rens Goede's roundabout journey to the city of Coimbatore in southern India is in support of the "Save Soil" movement.
"I just decided I can do more. I love to cycle, so I thought: do something crazy, get on the (bi)cycle, and do it," the 31-year-old told Reuters.
"If we don't act now, (soil) will degrade further, and future generations will suffer big-time; we should prevent that. We are the first generation ... who can turn this situation around."
Goede's mission mirrors that of Indian yogi Sadhguru, who last year carried out the same journey by motorbike, launching "Save Soil."
The movement, backed by the World Food Program, aims "to address the global soil degradation crisis and support governments in implementing concrete policy changes for soil health."
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), soil erosion could lead to a 10% loss in global crop production by 2050.
