Soil health is in the spotlight as the latest data reveals up to 73% of agricultural soil in the EU is unhealthy leading to authorities proposing legislation to revitalize the earth and preserve farming and carbon-capturing capabilities. The plan aims to turn around the situation and achieve resilient and healthy soil ecosystems by 2050. 

The cost of soil degradation is estimated at over €50 billion (US$54.77 billion) per year in the EU and the new proposal will be able to give soil the same level of legal protection in the EU as air and water.

There are a number of risks created by bad soil quality, including “for human health, the environment, climate, economy and society, including risks for food security, water quality, increased impacts from flooding and droughts, biomass production, carbon emissions and a loss of biodiversity,” according to the proposal.

“Degraded soils reduce the provision of ecosystem services such as food, feed, fiber, timber, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, pest control or water regulation,” says the European Commission (EC). 

These risks are intensified by the Ukraine war, which has made soils of “geo-strategic importance” to secure the food supply in the long term and feed the ballooning global population. 

While bad soil, with soil compaction for example, can lead to declines in farming yields of between 2.5% and 15%, healthy soils increase yields, biomass for fuel, human health – preventing erosion reduces airborne particulate matter from causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases – and better farmers’ financial livelihoods. 

“Soil erosion can cause a yearly agricultural productivity loss of €1.25 billion (US$ 1.37 billion) in the EU,” the EC notes.

Lack of binding targets
The new proposed legislation will lack binding targets but promises new revenue streams for those who cultivate land. Soil health certification, carbon farming and ecosystem services payments are some of the voluntary incentives offered for farmers to improve their practices.

But despite the possibility of an EU soil health law, not everyone is convinced of its scope. 

“The proposal is very weak. Achieving healthy soils by 2050 is only mentioned as a perspective and possible consequence of measures. The proposal contains no targets or obligations to draw up plans and – completely incomprehensible in view of the EU biodiversity strategy – no targets or instruments for restoring biodiversity in soil,” says Martin Häusling, agricultural policy spokesman for the Greens in the European Parliament. 

“In principle, the proposal only specifies how the soil condition is to be monitored and evaluated – and omits important criteria.”

Furthermore, the lack of investment has also been criticized. FoodDrink Europe’s director general Dirk Jabos says the financial gap to meet the EU ambitions of better soil health is around €8 billion (US$8.76 billion) a year for farmers.

Moreover, “agri-food businesses face a finance gap of at least €12.5 billion (US$13.69 billion) in unmet loan demands,” he notes.

“While the proposed soil law provides a good basis for soil descriptors, indicators and sustainable soil management practices, it falls short on clear guidelines and innovative tools for soil use and restoration by agri-food chain actors,” Jacobs underscores.

Industry warns lack of ambition
Representing a significant share of the European agri-food industry, including Nestlé, Danone and Unilever, One Planet Business for Biodiversity (OP2B) has “welcomed the EC’s initiative,” with some caveats.

“Despite the worrying state of EU soils and the solutions mentioned in the proposal, it fails to propose an ambitious framework for the coordinated development of soil health at the European level,” says OP2B in a statement. 

“The EU needs to go further to tackle the trend of deteriorating soil health in Europe,” highlights Stefania Avanzini, OP2B’s director.

OP2B is calling on the EU’s member states and the European Parliament to raise the proposal’s ambition to create the conditions for a level playing field and for a sustainable scale-up of regenerative agriculture.

“Our programs in Europe clearly show that implementing regenerative agriculture pays off, as it improves soil health and fertility, benefiting farmers and contributing to decarbonizing the sector,” says Pascal Chapot, group head of sustainable agriculture development at Nestlé.

“Unilever will help protect and regenerate 1.5 million hectares of land, forests and oceans by 2030 and source 50% of its food ingredients from regenerative agriculture by 2027,” says Haneke Faber, Unilever’s president of nutrition.

“OP2B calls on member states and the EU Parliament to raise the ambition of this text, create the condition of a level playing field and the ones for a sustainable scale-up of regenerative agriculture,” she flags.

Improving soil health
The new law will set the rules for measuring, managing and restoring soil health across the bloc. It will require member states to clean up contaminated sites that threaten people and nature.

The law will also define what healthy soil means and how it should be monitored. It furthermore forces member states to identify good and bad practices for soil use, especially in farming. 

Farmers and landowners will benefit from soil data and technologies – crop diversification, crop diversification, precision farming and plant development – that can help them improve soil fertility and productivity while saving water and nutrients.

Soil data will also help prevent and manage disasters such as droughts and floods.

The proposed legislation will also encourage new business models, such as carbon farming, wher farmers are paid for capturing carbon in their soils. It will also help protect forests, which depend on healthy soils.

The new law will be discussed in the European Parliament in the upcoming months.