[TrevorJ]

Actually, it's something you worry about now if you don't want people to starve.

[hga]

This discussion is in the context of a sudden failure of a variety of crops, e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_Grass

In that context, for a couple or so of years you don't worry about soil erosion, except to avoid a repeat of the Dust Bowl, you worry about people not starving. Before AKA "now", and after the emergency period, yes, you worry about it, as we do now.