Conserving healthy soils

Resource type: 
Research
EU project stamp: 
No
Main entity: 
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Type of entity: 
IGO
Key themes: 
Agriculture
Conservation
Societal challenges: 
Food security
Scope: 
Global
Description: 

This issue brief focuses on the importance of conserving healthy soil, which defining elements are:

  • The health of soils is dependent on the variety of organisms they contain, known as soil biodiversity. 
  • The amount of soil biodiversity determines the productivity of land, and thus the provision of food, water, and the regulation of climate. 
  • Current land degradation, chiefly due to chemical-fuelled, intensive agricultural production, is causing the loss of soil biodiversity, undermining the services provided by healthy soils. 
  • Governments should put in place policies and legislation, and promote land management practices which restore or preserve soil biodiversity. 
Date: 
2019
Language: 
EN
ES
FR