Better monitoring yields healthier soils

Our soils are teeming with life. More than half of all life on Earth lives in the soil. From billions of bacteria and fungi, to plants, trees and animals. The upper layer of the Earth's crust, which consists of mineral particles, organic matter, water and air, allows plants, vegetables and fruits to flourish and to produce food for all.

Unfortunately, up to 70% of all soils in Europe are currently in an unhealthy state, according to scientific evidence. In addition, there is also a lack of comprehensive data on soil health from soil monitoring, resulting in a lack of consistency and comparability across the EU. Healthy soils are an essential part of the solution to ensure a sustainable and resilient economy and environment as they increase resilience to climate change, to extreme weather events, droughts and floods, and provide biomass for the bioeconomy. Renew Europe therefore welcomes this evenings’ approval in ENVI committee of the fruitful work done, led by Renew Europe Rapporteur Martin Hojsík, for the establishment of a Soil Monitoring and Resilience Law to maintain soils in Europe in a healthy condition and prevent deterioration, all with the view to achieve healthy soils across the EU by 2050.

Making our soils healthy and fertile again will involve setting up a solid and flexible legal framework for soil monitoring and assessment for all soils across the EU, in order to continuously improve soil health in the Union. Taking into account the rich diversity and the geographical, natural and climate peculiarities of the various soils in the Member States, the data of collected soil samples on site will be used to generate as much information as possible at the time of extraction or in the future, including for further research and innovations. In order to support the Member States in their mission for better soils, the Commission shall establish a sustainable soil management toolbox that will provide soil managers with practical information on the use of sustainable soil management practices.

MEP Martin Hojsík (Progresívne Slovensko, Slovakia) Renew Europe rapporteur says:

“Soil is a living treasure under our feet. It purifies water, regulates climate and provides food to our tables. Without soil we have no future and farmers have no living. That is why we work to have better data to help us make our soils healthy and resilient for our future.”

Please watch the video HERE.