Joint initiative in Europe to protect soil

A comprehensive scientific report on the state of European soil is to be conducted by The European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre.

'The state of soil in Europe' will be conducted to highlight the need to protect and maintain soil in a co-ordinated way across the European Union. Failure to do so could compromise food production and hinder the role of soil in preventing droughts and flooding as well as stopping biodiversity losses.

The flagship report from the EEA reported that organic matter and biodiversity are declining in some areas. There are environmental consequences associated with each of these concerns, which will ministers hope will be further expressed in the joint research project.

According to EU figures, soil erosion by water affects around 16 per cent of Europe's land area. It is largely the result of poor land management, such as deforestation, overgrazing, construction activities and forest fires.

Chemicals are also a cause for concern, with fertilisers and pesticides compromising mineral particles such as water, air, organic matter, and living organisms that constitute soil and perform key functions which underpin our society.

Posted by Joseph Hutton