This information is now out of date

Day 2: Options and Opportunities • Theme: Meeting Global Needs

Earth under pressure: maximising the value of soil

Dr. Helaina Black, The James Hutton Institute, UK; Dr Steve Twomlow, United Nations Environment Programme, Kenya; Prof. Keith Goulding, Rothamsted Research, UK; Dr. Paul Hallett, The James Hutton Institute, UK

Session content:
Soil is a vital component of the earth’s system. It is the foundation for food production, forestry, water supply, urban development and the cycling of elements upon which humanity relies. Soil quality and national wealth are closely linked, with soil representing the most valuable natural capital of developing nations. But much of the global soil resource is in a degraded state which underlies the threats of food security, water shortages, biodiversity loss, climate change and flooding. Some of the severest environmental disasters are a product of soil degradation, including the US Great Dust Bowl and sub-Saharan desertification. In parallel, the escalating cost and limited availability of fertilisers, fuel and water presents a serious challenge that can only be addressed by making soil more efficient at delivering resources and supporting crop production. The restoration of soil is an obvious route to enhancing the supply of ecosystem services to meet global needs. Considerable research effort is now targeted in developing solutions to combat the effects of degradation and to deliver sustainable soil management in agricultural systems. However we need to learn from history and carefully consider the ultimate trade-offs in social, economic and environment benefits. This session will highlight current research, describe how current know-how could be applied to tackle the pressing issue of global soil degradation and discuss the economic benefits and trade-offs in changing management practices to restore and enhance soil quality.