Healthy soils play a central role in our lives. They’re the bedrock of food production, as they supply essential nutrients for crops. They’re also vital for storing carbon, helping to combat climate change. Let’s not forget biodiversity either—soils are teeming with life, hosting millions of organisms in just a single gram. But when soils degrade, the impacts ripple out. Food production becomes less reliable, carbon emissions increase, and ecosystems lose their balance.
Despite its critical role, over 60% of Europe’s soils are currently unhealthy, threatened by erosion, pollution, and the loss of organic matter. To tackle this, the European Commission proposed the the Soil Monitoring Law back in July 2023, aiming to establish a comprehensive framework for soil health across member states and setting a bold goal for all soils to be healthy by 2050. This new law is a game-changer for how soil is managed and protected across the EU.
Among the many risks linked to soil degradation, its acceleration of climate change through carbon release stands out. This process, coupled with declining food and biomass production, creates economic challenges due to reduced agricultural yields and expensive remediation efforts.
The state of soils in Europe.
The Soil Monitoring Law proposes a unified approach across all EU member states. The aim is simple but ambitious: create a comprehensive system that allows member states to assess soil health regularly, prevent further degradation, and take action where contamination has already occurred. In essence, the EU is trying to give soil the recognition it deserves as an essential, non-renewable resource. This harmonized strategy will help address knowledge gaps and ensure that countries can act swiftly to protect their soil resources. The law also underscores the need for sustainable practices, encouraging farmers, industries, and urban developers to make decisions that support rather than harm soil health.
One of the law’s most striking elements is its focus on addressing contaminated sites. Soil pollution isn’t just an environmental problem—it’s a human health risk. Contaminated soils can leach harmful substances into water supplies or release toxic dust into the air. The new legislation prioritizes identifying and cleaning up these sites, reducing risks for people and nature alike. While the goals of the Soil Monitoring Law are clear, its implementation will require significant effort and collaboration. Member states will need to adopt national strategies and work closely with farmers, businesses, and local communities to meet the 2050 target. Success will depend on how effectively countries integrate soil health into broader environmental and economic policies.
The adoption of the Soil Monitoring Law will mark a turning point in how we think about soil. For too long, it’s been overlooked, treated as an infinite resource. The EU’s Soil Monitoring Law is a recognition that healthy soils are vital not just for agriculture but for climate stability, biodiversity, and human well-being. As this legislation moves through the approval process, it’s a chance for Europe to set an example for the rest of the world, proving that safeguarding soil is a crucial step toward a sustainable future. At CinSOIL, we are working on solutions to easily assess, monitor and improve soil health status, so that we can properly take care of this fundamental natural resource.