Assessment and Governance of Sustainable Soil ManagementKatharina Helming, Thomas Koellner, Katrin Daedlow, Bernd Hansjürgens The role of soils for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is multifarious. Soils are the essential basis for food and biomass provision in support of food security (SDG 2) and energy security (SDG 7). Soil carbon sequestration is paramount for climate action (SDG 13). Soil-mediated water purification and retention, nutrient and matter cycling, and soils habitat functions are essential for maintaining ecosystem services and biodiversity (SDG 15). Healthy soils perform well in all these functions simultaneously. However, the globally increasing demand for food, fiber, and bio-based products poses massive challenges to soil health. Minimizing trade-offs between biomass production and soil health requires systemic approaches to assessment and governance of sustainable soil management in agriculture and food systems. It provides interdisciplinary insights into key questions: What are the impacts of agricultural management practices on sustainability targets in specific geophysical and socio-economic contexts? What are the opportunities and risks of future trends such as climate change, digitalization, and emerging technologies for soil management and soil health? How can institutions and governance instruments be improved to enable decision makers to take action on sustainable soil management? The book was initiated in the frame of the National German research program ‘BonaRes—Soil as a sustainable resource for the bioeconomy’, and it is meant to trigger interdisciplinary thinking. |
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accessed activities adoption agricultural analysis applied approach arable land assessment authors Available online benefits biodiversity choice climate common Common Agricultural Policy compaction risk compared conservation contribute costs crop CrossRef decision decision-making decrease degradation determine Directive ecological economic ecosystem services effects Environ environmental European example factors farm farmers Federal fertilizers field Figure framework future Germany given governance human impact implementation important improved increase indicators influence issue Italy land landscape legislation limited measures mechanical methods natural nutrient organic particular planning plant positive potential practices probability processes production property rights reduced regions regulation rent requires rotation salinization social soil functions soil management soil protection spatial specific stakeholders structure subsoil sustainable Table tillage yield zones