The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) has today (Tuesday 5 December) published a report to conclude its inquiry into soil health. 

The report provides recommendations for government after the committee’s inquiry examined how the government can "turn the tide on soil degradation".  

While the Soil Association welcomes the warning, the charity wants to see stronger action from government to save our soils - and is calling for citizens to join them in sending a Soil SOS today for World Soil Day.

In response to the EFRA report, Soil Association Head of Farming Policy Gareth Morgan said: “Soil is so much more than the dirt beneath our feet – life on earth depends on it as much as it depends on water and air. We cannot produce food without it, a quarter of Earth’s species live in the soil, and it stores more carbon than the atmosphere.

"But British soils are in crisis and a rapid shift to a soil-centred farming system is urgently needed following decades of intensive farming
practices that have resulted in soil erosion and loss of soil organic matter. As we told this inquiry when giving evidence evidence, there is no time to lose.

"The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s new report issues a strong warning about declining soil health, but its proposals lack urgency.
The recommendations to invest more in sustainable farming policies need to be enacted but stronger regulation will also be needed to put a stop to practices that are harming soils.

"With healthier soils on organic farms, the government must prioritise all nature-friendly, agroecological farming, which is the most evidenced based approach for saving our degrading soils.”

Today the Soil Association is urging people to get involved with World Soil Day by sharing the message echoed in today's EFRA report - that looking to the ground is just as important as looking up to trees and out to water, as we fight climate change.  

Get involved - share a Worms Eye View for World Soil Day