Soil is one of the planet’s most fragile resources, with up to 40% currently facing moderate to severe degradation – a figure that could rise to 90% by 2050 if harmful practices persist. Healthy soils play a crucial role in climate neutrality, fostering a sustainable and circular economy, and preventing desertification and land degradation. They are also key to reversing biodiversity loss, ensuring the production of healthy food, and protecting human health. Addressing soil and land degradation is thus a critical challenge for sustainable development.
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The importance of soil health
Global soils can store twice as much carbon as the atmosphere. This sequestered carbon benefits soil health, enhances crop resilience, and improves the nutritional quality of food. With appropriate practices, soil carbon sequestration could potentially remove up to 5.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, representing about 25% of the reduction needed to stay below the critical 1.5°C global warming threshold. Ivanoé Koog, Regenerative Agriculture Agronomist at the Earthworm Foundation, stated “Working with healthy soils means that your soil will be much more resilient, it will sequester and store carbon, which will alleviate climate change and will also host and feed biodiversity, allowing more water to infiltrate and be stored. Taking care of soil health is key towards sustainability in agriculture.”
Soil is also a key global reservoir of biodiversity, hosting 25% of Earth’s animal species underground and interacting with 40% of organisms in terrestrial ecosystems. Furthermore, 95% of the world’s food supply relies on soil, whether through crop cultivation or plants that feed livestock. As explained by Marc Gijsbers, Senior Associate, Agriculture and Food at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBSCD), “Healthy soils are essential to ensure 9 billion people can live within planetary boundaries by mid-century. For agriculture, they play a critical role by contributing towards other key holistic outcomes such as improving farmer livelihoods, enhancing biodiversity, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We need diverse solutions and work together as one both globally and locally. By focusing on the key holistic outcomes agriculture should achieve, we can drive meaningful progress in social, environmental, and economic spheres, and ensure both people and the planet thrive.” Collaborating with farmers on practices such as tilling techniques, cover crops and improved water-use efficiency can help us harness soil’s potential as a carbon sink and move towards achieving net zero emissions.
Challenges in soil degradation
Soil health and fertility are jeopardized by deforestation, overgrazing, intensive farming, and climate change. Habitat destruction, erosion, and nutrient depletion lead to long-term, costly impacts on soil health and agricultural productivity. Additionally, soil and land degradation disrupt ecosystem services crucial for food security, water quality and availability, human health, and various socio-economic activities. Hans von Zinkernagel, Program Manager Policy & Advocacy at the Biovision Foundation, specified “The negative consequences of agriculture are largely due to “conventional” farming, which involves extensive tillage, heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, monoculture, and reliance on fossil fuels. These practices accelerate soil degradation, posing a critical challenge to sustainable food systems. Soil erosion can lead to significant crop yield losses, and without sustainable soil management, these losses worsen over time.” Since 1961, over one-third of the world’s 1.38 billion hectares of arable land has been irreversibly compromised.
Agricultural input companies play a crucial role in successful farming by providing accurate assessments of land quality and weather conditions to guide crop selection. Effective real-time communication of this information to farming communities is essential for precision farming. However, the transition to more sustainable practices often presents challenges. Sylvain Coutu, Nature Finance – Senior Associate, pointed out “One of the biggest challenges with regenerative agriculture is that farmers often hesitate to change their practices due to the risk of reduced yields and consequent lower income. This risk shouldn’t fall solely on farmers; the society will greatly benefit from this transition and must share part of the burden. Currently, substantial subsidies support intensive agriculture, which is largely harmful for the environment. Redirecting these subsidies towards practices that improve environmental conditions can make a significant difference. Financial and political support is crucial for advancing regenerative and sustainable agriculture.” Resistance from major agrochemical companies also hiders the promotion of local biopesticides and organic fertilizers. Effective management and optimization of pesticides and fertilizers through innovative agricultural solutions are essential. According to Dr. Jonathan Davies, an Independent Consultant, Agricultural Economics & Ecology,“It is crucial to consider both short- and long-term goals in sustainability discussions. Often, the conversation is too focused on the short term, starting from a distorted sector where public subsidies create inefficiencies. These subsidies often promote production-heavy and input-intensive systems without considering the long-term cost of unsustainability.”
Ensuring healthy soils
Maintaining healthy soil enhances productivity, sustainability, and profitability. Measures such as soil monitoring, increasing organic matter, planting trees, and restoring peatlands can improve soil health. Since practices affect soil differently, regular monitoring is key to addressing specific needs. The EU Soil strategy for 2030 aims to ensure healthy soils by 2050 through protection, restoration, and sustainable use. A key element is the new Soil Monitoring Law, which will provide a unified definition of soil health, establish a comprehensive monitoring system, and promote sustainable management.
Sean Woolfrey, Lead, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, told us “Encouraging sustainable practices requires leveraging a full range of tools – policies, regulations, and laws. Governments need to shift the incentive structure using levers such as taxes, public procurement, and repurposed subsidies to encourage sustainable production and support practices that promote soil health and forest conservation. Additionally, creating incentives for responsible investment in sustainable agriculture and investing in human capital and research are essential. By using these levers effectively, governments can drive progress in sustainable agriculture and food systems.”
Regenerative agriculture further contributes by enhancing soil health and restoring natural systems, which is vital for reversing climate change. By imitating natural ecosystem processes, it revitalizes the environment for future generations, focusing on boosting soil biodiversity to improve resilience during environmental stress. Francesco Ajena, Agroecology and food system specialist, mentioned “Transforming food systems into sustainable models requires a holistic approach that extends beyond agricultural practices. This necessitates a supportive environment cultivated through knowledge sharing platforms like farmer exchanges, technical assistance, and strategic policy development. By fostering local markets, ensuring access to adapted seeds and natural resources, and promoting collaboration between researchers, innovators, and farmers, we can create a virtuous cycle tailored to specific regional contexts.” By tailoring sustainable soil and land management techniques to local conditions, it is possible to enhance the interactions among soil, water, livestock, and plants.
In conclusion, progress in soil conservation and sustainable agriculture requires coordinated action, targeted policies, and strategic investments. Building trust among stakeholders is crucial to ensure that technology supports an equitable and sustainable transition across the entire agricultural sector. The transition must also address potential unintended consequences, such as socio-economic disparities and environmental impacts. Collaborative efforts between governments, industry experts, farmers, and communities are essential to develop and implement solutions that promote soil health, enhance food security, and foster resilience against climate change.
