More needs to be done to better protect soils for future generations and to promote agricultural practices that benefit soil health, according to a cross-party group of MPs in the United Kingdom. Following an inquiry into soil health and protection that included sessions with leading soil experts, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on AgroEcology for Sustainable Food and Farming has released a series of reports with a particular focus on agriculture. Although 95 per cent of our food comes from the soil, the political rhetoric and agenda does not adequately reflect this understanding and the current policy framework is insufficient to ensure that soil is protected, the group warns. “Healthy soil is vital both here and around the world. Failure to tackle current problems will lead to catastrophic environmental, economic and social breakdown,” said Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer, who led the inquiry panel. “Reversing the loss of soils, along with restoring knowledge and interest in soil, are essential first steps to sustainable food production.” According to one of the reports, changing diets, increasing populations and downward price pressures from retailers are all combining to put immense strain on the agricultural sector. This pressure has manifested itself in an increasing need by farm businesses to increase outputs while reducing inputs. This, especially when combined with increasingly shorter tenancies, is fostering a culture of short-termism, the MPs warn. The authors state that farming methods such as an increasing cultivation of maize crops for energy use may be implicated in soil compaction and flooding. According to the group, one step that could be taken to build healthier soils is to use measures within Pillar 2 of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to incentivise farmers to improve soil organic matter with initiatives, such as crop diversification to include agroforestry, which could also mitigate against harmful monocultures. For example, cultivation of leguminous cover crops, carefully managed application of manure, rotations, well managed extensive livestock grazing (as opposed to intensive systems), buffer strips – all are examples of techniques which should be encouraged by government policy, the report concludes. Rules with greater scope, force and ambition are required in order to meet the Government’s stated goal to manage soils sustainably by 2030. (ab)