More than 60% of European soils are currently in an unhealthy state, and this situation is worsening – a fact that has been confirmed by scientific evidence [i].
The unsustainable utilization of natural resources within the EU, specifically the degradation and pollution of soils, significantly contributes to our climate and biodiversity crises.
The financial implications of soil degradation are substantial[i], with an estimated annual cost of over €50 billion due to the loss of essential services provided by soils.[ii]
The main drivers of soil degradation are unsustainable land management practices, soil contamination, overexploitation, and the influence of climate change and extreme weather events. Such degradation diminishes the capacity of soils to provide vital ecosystem services like food, feed, fiber, timber, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, pest control, and water regulation.
What’s more, degraded soils further strain the remaining healthy soils, impacting growers and their ability to produce nutritious food. It is crucial to urgently reverse this trend in order to mitigate and respond effectively to natural disasters, droughts, achieve EU climate and biodiversity goals, ensure food security and safety, and safeguard public health.
Unlike air and water, soils currently lack equivalent levels of legal protection within the EU. As a result, the European Parliament, other EU institutions, stakeholders, and citizens have called upon the Commission to establish an EU legal framework for the protection and sustainable use of soils.[iii[
In response to these demands, the EU Soil Strategy for 2030 announced that the Commission would present a legislative proposal in 2023 with the vision of achieving healthy soil ecosystems by 2050.
The proposed law’s ultimate objective is to ensure that all soils are in a healthy condition by 2050, aligning with the EU Zero Pollution goal. To achieve this, the law establishes a standardized definition of soil health, implements a comprehensive and cohesive monitoring framework, and introduces regulations for sustainable soil management and remediation of contaminated sites.
With the support of the Commission, Member States will initially monitor and assess the health of their soils, enabling relevant measures to be taken by authorities and landowners. The collected data will inform the implementation of technological and organizational solutions for soil management, particularly in farming practices. These solutions may include the use of a natural soil booster such as that developed by SoilPoint, crop diversification, precision farming, digitized soil management tools, and other applicable methods.
By adopting such measures, farmers and landowners can implement suitable treatment techniques that enhance soil fertility, increase yields, minimize water and nutrient consumption, and assist in maintaining soil health.
Additionally, the availability of soil data allows for improved analysis of trends related to droughts, water retention, and erosion, thereby enhancing disaster prevention and management efforts.
The provision of high-quality soil data will foster the adoption, large-scale development, and success of sustainable business models like carbon farming, ultimately contributing to the improvement of forest health.
Sustainable soil management will become the norm throughout the EU, as Member States will be required to define positive and negative practices of soil management.
Regeneration measures, aimed at restoring degraded soils to a healthy state, should also be established and implemented, based on Member States’ soil health assessments.
Such assessments will further support the development and implementation of other EU policies and related plans and programs concerning land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF), the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and water management.
The EU currently estimates that there are around 2.8 million potentially contaminated sites within its territory. To address the legacy of pollution from past activities, the proposal mandates Member States to identify all potentially contaminated sites, transparently map them in a publicly accessible register, investigate these sites, and address any unacceptable risks to human health and the environment.
These efforts contribute to the goal of achieving a toxic-free environment by 2050, while adhering to the principle of “polluter pays” to ensure that the costs are borne by those responsible for the contamination.
Promoting the sustainable use and regeneration of soils will strengthen the resilience of European food and farming systems. Improving soil health is crucial for disaster prevention and management, particularly in light of the increasing occurrence of climate-induced extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and wildfires in Europe.
Additionally, the depollution and decontamination of soils will significantly improve the health of citizens, particularly vulnerable groups who are disproportionately affected by pollution.
The proposal will reduce the costs associated with soil degradation and the subsequent decline in ecosystem services. Currently, these costs, conservatively estimated at around €50 billion per year, are borne by society at large, with farmers and landowners shouldering a significant burden.
Farmers stand to benefit greatly from this proposal as their livelihoods and future depend on the long-term health of the soils in which crops are cultivated and livestock is raised.
Given that 95% of our food is directly or indirectly derived from soils, soil erosion alone results in an annual agricultural productivity loss of €1.25 billion in the EU.
The increased adoption of sustainable soil management practices will help maintain or improve soil fertility, productivity, and yields, thereby reducing costs through the availability of enhanced ecosystem services and reduced reliance on inputs. Specific benefits include:
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(i) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_23_3637
(ii) https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/news-views/the-hidden-cost-of-uk-food-soil-degradation/
(iii) https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/proposal-directive-soil-monitoring-and-resilience_en
