Life on earth is entirely dependent on healthy functioning soils. They are the very foundation of the ecosystems upon which we rely. We count on their functioning to produce our food, cycle nutrients manage waterflows, sequester carbon and be the bedrock of the planet’s biodiversity. Without healthy soils on earth, humankind as we know it could not exist. Yet, despite the fundamental importance of our soils, we have failed to value and protect them. We continue to seal over some our most fertile soils to build new housing, industrial complexes and infrastructure. We face the enormous challenge of decontaminating polluted soils and continue to support a system of agriculture that generates soil loss, causes soil pollution, and deteriorates soil health. This is not a new realisation, nor a new problem. Policy makers, NGOs, academics, and indeed certain groups of farmers have been sounding the alarm bell for decades, yet as this report will detail in its early chapters, progress has remained extremely limited and even more worrying, indicators show a worsening situation. European policy makers are taking up the mantle of soil and moving forward with it, and its prominence in the Green Deal and its strategies is evidence of the priority this non-renewable natural resource is being given for the future of Europe. And they are not alone. Individual soil initiatives of all shapes and sizes have sprung up across Europe to help farmers sustainably manage our soils But these top-level policies and grass root actions are still not enough. They are a welcome and essential start and this forward momentum must not waver. More commitment and action are required from National policy makers and mainstream farmers’ organisations. Like so many of the challenges we face today – such as the climate emergency and biodiversity loss - we do not have the luxury of time. As we release this report, the war with Ukraine continues to shape our political landscape. There are already calls to reverse the Green Deal and all that it entails in order to focus on short term market disruption. Yet action for long term global food security cannot be postponed. Make no mistake, if we do not push forward to restore soil health, it will be our soils that are at the heart of future food security crises. It is sometimes hard in these turbulent times to find a good news story, but I truly do believe that soil can be the good news story of our decade. Soil lies at the heart of a complex array of challenges we face today and if we can reverse soil deterioration, we can strengthen the resilience of our system to future crises, sequester carbon, support biodiversity, and continue to produce healthy, quality, affordable food for future generations. This is a unique moment in time. The spotlight is shining on soil right now, we know what to do, resources are being mobilised. We know which way the path should take us to provide long term food security, so let’s keep walking. This report is the RISE Foundation’s contribution to helping us along that path and showing us the way forward.
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