
Dossier
Soil Health
Healthy soils are vital. For our food production, for water retention, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, underground and above-ground biodiversity. Unfortunately, the quality and health of our soils is deteriorating rapidly. Time for a change: the European Commission has presented a new Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience, to legally protect the soil. In this dossier, Wageningen experts will show you the importance of soil and what is needed to manage our soils sustainably.
Soil health and why it needs Europe-wide protection
Seventeen soil experts of Wageningen University & Research have collaboratively written a policy discussion note on the importance of soil health and a European Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive.
Read more about the proposed Directive
Meet the experts
Rachel Creamer

Soil health policy should be clear about the challenges and objectives and needs to recognise the vital role of farmers and other land managers in management of soil health.
Edwin Alblas

It is high time policymakers provided firm legal protection for healthy soils, which are fundamental to life and essential for the protection of people and the environment.
Liesje Mommer

The majority of soils across Europe are in poor condition as a result of unsustainable human activities. This has serious consequences for the health of people, the environment we live in, and the ecosystems of our planet.
Jeanne Nel

Science-based frameworks and engagement processes already exist to allow local actors to develop context-sensitive strategies for managing and monitoring soil health.
Esmer Jongedijk

It is clear that soil health and human health are connected through several interconnected pathways: soil, water, vegetable and animal foods, and air. To protect this system, a "one-health" approach is essential.
Janjo de Haan

A lot of societal issues are being imposed on farmers via policy regulations, without providing financial compensation and future perspectives. Soil health policy should therefore be made through a joint search together with farmers.
Publications
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Barriers and opportunities of soil knowledge to address soil challenges : Stakeholders’ perspectives across Europe
Journal of Environmental Management (2023), Volume: 325, Issue: Part B - ISSN 0301-4797 -
Soil biodiversity needs policy without borders
Science (New York, N.Y.) (2023), Volume: 379, Issue: 6627 - ISSN 0036-8075 - p. 32-34. -
At the Farm of the Future, soil structure and soil health are top priorities
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An Open Soil Health Assessment Framework Facilitating Sustainable Soil Management
Environmental Science and Technology (2022), Volume: 56, Issue: 23 - ISSN 0013-936X - p. 17375-17384. -
European farmers describe solutions for improving soil health
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Effects of micro and nanoplastics on soil fauna gut microbiome : An emerging ecological risk for soil health
Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health (2022), Volume: 30 - ISSN 2468-5844 -
Towards Circular Agriculture – Exploring Insect Waste Streams as a Crop and Soil Health Promoter
Journal of Insects as Food and Feed (2021), Volume: 7, Issue: 3 - ISSN 2352-4588 - p. 357-368. -
Combining local knowledge and soil science for integrated soil health assessments in conservation agriculture systems
Journal of Environmental Management (2021), Volume: 286 - ISSN 0301-4797 -
Soil indicators for agricultural fields in The Netherlands (BLN version 1.1)
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A strategy to determine the fate of active chemical compounds in soil; applied to antimicrobially active substances
Chemosphere (2021), Volume: 279 - ISSN 0045-6535