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The Week in Soil

Our weekly blog features the main scientific, political and cultural soil-related stories of interest from across the web over the previous seven days, available on our website and through our Twitter account every Friday morning.

12 April 2024
  • Farming Recovery Fund
  • River Wye Action Plan
  • UK Invertebrate of the Year
  • Sugar and soil
  • Soil inorganic carbon
05 April 2024
  • Soil Health Inquiry
  • SFI cap
  • England Ecosystem Survey
  • Nature markets consultation
  • Universal Basic Income
22 March 2024
  • ELMs and food security
  • Nature Markets Framework
  • Farming Rules for Water
  • Rewilding carbon sequestration
  • Making Friends with Molluscs

 

15 March 2024
  • EU Soil Monitoring Law
  • Greener Farms Commitment dropped
  • Stop Killing our Rivers campaign
  • Innocent smoothie campaign
  • Lloyds funding for nature
08 March 2024
  • Welsh Sustainable Farming Scheme protests
  • Red Tractor environmental modules
  • Subsidising native forests
  • Soil Benchmark free trial
  • Professor Pete Smith on soil health
01 March 2024
  • Sunak on Welsh Sustainable Farming Scheme
  • Funding for flood prevention measures
  • Impact of flooding
  • Soil Farmer of the Year
  • Counting the Earth podcast
23 February 2024
  • Defra’s SFI update
  • Environment Agency Chair on soil health 
  • Changes to the Welsh Sustainable Farming Scheme 
  • Red Tractor Review
  • EU carbon removal certification 
16 February 2024
  • Defra’s SFI uptake
  • Biodiversity Net Gain rules
  • Direct payments to remain in Scotland
  • Welsh Sustainable Farming Scheme
  • Microplastics in soils
09 February 2024
  • Legal action over Farming Rules for Water  
  • Suggestion of SFI cap  
  • Regulatory gap post cross compliance 
  • New funding for lowland peat soils  
  • Scotland’s peatland restoration project 
02 February 2024
  • Biodiversity Net Gain delay
  • Investment in regenerative technologies 
  • Contaminated soil landslide 
  • Microsoft’s soil carbon credit deal 
  • Six Inches of Soil tour 
26 January 2024
  • The future of fertilisers use report 
  • Get Fair About Farming debate
  • Soils’ carbon storage abilities
  • Cornwall soil lab
  • Protecting Our Roots project

 

19 January 2024
  • Land Use for Net Zero Hub 
  • Environmental Improvement Plan shortfall 
  • Fraudulent soil samples 
  • Carbon accounting tools 
  • Soil health and national security

 

12 January 2024
  • Soil at the Oxford farming conferences
  • Updates to ELMs
  • Delay to Land Use Framework
  • Soil degradation and flooding
  • Soil carbon markets

 

22 December 2023
  • Scotland’s rural budget cuts 
  • Extra £4 billion required for agricultural budget  
  • Soil missing from COP28 declaration  
  • Welsh government's objection to energy park
  • Bristol contaminated soil  

 

15 December 2023
  • Private investment in nature scheme  
  • Soil Nutrient Health Scheme 
  • Reaction to EFRA report  
  • Regenerative funding framework 
  • Champion soil farmer 

 

08 December 2023
  • EFRA committee soil health report 
  • World Soil Day 
  • COP28
  • Agricarbon investment 
  • Bristol Living Soil
01 December 2023
  • COP28
  • Government support for nature 
  • WWF report 
  • Soils’ role in natural flood management 
  • Ecosystem Marketplace report
24 November 2023
  • UK Chancellor’s Autumn statement
  • Greener Farms Commitment
  • New woodlands and soils
  • European Mission Soil Week
  • Soil relocation
17 November 2023
  • New UK Environment Secretary
  • False soil samples
  • Soil monitoring market
  • Regenerative flour
  • Lunar soils
10 November 2023
  • Sustainable horticulture  
  • King’s speech 
  • FAO report
  • ‘Big Soils Stocktake’
  • Wildfires and soils  
03 November 2023
  • Government nature commitment 
  • Red Tractor update 
  • #COPsoil 
  • Impact of flooding 
  • Soil organic carbon  
27 October 2023
  • SFI payments 
  • Storm Babel 
  • World Food Forum 
  • Future crops 
  • Soil microbes and diamonds
20 October 2023
  • Red tractor criticism  
  • Nature credit markets 
  • New regenerative programmes 
  • Peat-free soil blocks 
  • #WorldWormDay 

 

13 October 2023
  • Labour’s green agenda 
  • UK Soils Awareness Week 
  • Soil monitoring technology 
  • Ancient genetic pathways 
  • Carbon credit markets 

 

06 October 2023
  • Scotland’s Agriculture bill
  • Value of earthworms
  • Soil monitoring technology 
  • Monoculture tree planting 
  • Human connections to soil
22 September 2023
  • SFI applications open
  • Unsubstantiated regenerative claims
  • Maize harvest
  • Nitrogen use efficiency

 

15 September 2023
  • Support for buying British produce 
  • Multinationals trialling regenerative agriculture
  • Benefits of cover cropping 
  • Lady Eve Balfour 
  • #IGrowYourFood day 
08 September 2023
  • ‘Urgent action’ needed on soil health policy 
  • Soil health’s relation to human health 
  • Agroforestry show
  • Survey reveals farmers’ concerns 
  • Circular dining
01 September 2023
  • SFI applications
  • Peatland projects
  • Resilient blackcurrants
  • Agroecology for Africa
  • Soil microbes affected by heat
25 August 2023
  • SFI applications
  • Peatland projects
  • Resilient blackcurrants
  • Agroecology for Africa
  • Soil microbes affected by heat
14 August 2023
  • Wet weather impacts 
  • England Ecosystem Project
  • Soil species-rich habitat
  • Soil in climate strategies
  • Managing an allotment
04 August 2023
  • House of Lords protecting land
  • Climate adaptation plan
  • Reduced fertiliser increasing crops
  • Supermarket environmental pricing
  • Organic farming
28 July 2023
  • NFU on Wales farm scheme
  • COP28 on land-use
  • Quarry and ancient soils
  • Pesticides and soil biodiversity
  • Livestock emissions and net zero
21 July 2023
  • Defra report on UK agriculture
  • Farming industrial strategy
  • Welsh views on new farming scheme
  • US invests in global soil scheme
  • EU drought
14 July 2023
  • Polluter pays fines
  • Farming Rules for Water
  • SFI economic benefits
  • EU audit of soil policies
  • Declining insect populations
07 July 2023
  • Local Nature Recovery Strategies
  • Farming Innovation Competition
  • River campaign 
  • EU Soil Law
  • EU Sustainable Food Law
30 June 2023
  • Defra measures for peat
  • £4.4bn for nature-friendly farming
  • Slow decarbonising farming
  • Scottish farm subsidies to include soil testing
  • Groundswell 2023
23 June 2023
  • Defra’s updated SFI 
  • Court review of food strategy
  • EU Nature Law progress
  • Food systems and climate
  • Warming soils store less carbon
16 June 2023
  • Defra new SFI standards 
  • England’s biodiversity targets
  • Drought, the next pandemic
  • Businesses want EU nature law
  • Framework for England’s soil health
09 June 2023
  • Global Farm Metric
  • NFU backs new global warming measure
  • EU concern over pesticides
  • Regenerative agriculture measure
  • Less insects on farm soils
02 June 2023
  • Decline in farm incomes
  • Defra funds farm resilience
  • Job losses for livestock farms
  • EU votes down nature law
  • Conservation Basic Income
26 May 2023
  • Defra support tenant farms
  • Scottish govt food security 
  • Daera ammonia emissions
  • Bioenergy research
  • Accessible soil data
19 May 2023
  • Farm to Fork Summit
  • Farmer confidence
  • Potential soil import ban
  • Soil health app
  • Pesticides and bird decline
12 May 2023
  • Govt invests in fertiliser
  • Unfair funding for Scottish farms
  • Soil Health Inquiry
  • Spanish drought 
  • Soil health benchmarks
05 May 2023
  • WWF agriculture emissions plan
  • River pollution election issue
  • Horticulture strategy scrapped
  • Livestock profits
  • Biden backs climate-smart agriculture
28 April 2023
  • Climate activists protest
  • Calls for Natural England overhaul
  • Govt supporting biochar
  • Banned pesticides sold to Brazil
  • Regulating natural capital markets
21 April 2023
  • Systemic problems with ELMS
  • Fenland soils
  • Low soil moisture in Spain
  • Critical minerals in UK soil
  • Sustainable fashion
14 April 2023
  • Microplastics in UK soils
  • Environment Agency strike
  • UK soils nutrient deficiencies
  • Potato innovation programme
  • Sounds of soil research
07 April 2023
  • Green Finance Strategy
  • LEAF certification for Aldi UK
  • Soil Health Industry Platform
  • Compost benefits
  • Acidic UK soils
31 March 2023
  • Peat-ban delay
  • Green Finance for farming
  • Funds for farming tech
  • Farming impact on air pollution
  • Moon soil
24 March 2023
  • UN IPCC climate report
  • Nature charities call for action
  • Ukraine war impacting soils
  • Drought in France affecting farms
  • Soil health computer game
17 March 2023
  • Phosphorus shortages
  • Contaminated soil fine
  • Dutch farmers protest
  • Wildfarmed regenerative tour
  • Pavements for soil
10 March 2023
  • Businesses support environmental protections
  • Europe winter drought
  • EU pesticide reductions stalled
  • Farm environmental data
  • Small-holdings and post-Brexit farm
03 March 2023
  • Businesses support environmental protections
  • Europe winter drought
  • EU pesticide reductions stalled
  • Farm environmental data
  • Small-holdings and post-Brexit farm
24 February 2023
  • NFU Conference
  • Greenwashing business claims
  • Coffee and climate change
  • Biochar supports soil carbon
  • Soil carbon sequestration
17 February 2023
  • Soil emissions in Northern Ireland
  • EU soil BENCHMARKS project
  • Nextdoor Nature programme
  • Global grassland Soil Organic Carbon
  • EU pesticide reduction targets
10 February 2023
  • Farmers' opinion
  • Sustainable Management
  • EU Farm to Fork division
  • EU organic farming 
  • Car pollutions reduces soil carbon
03 February 2023
  • Defra reduce soil target 
  • Royal Society on land-use
  • New soil amendments
  • Heritage cereals research
  • Soil board game
27 January 2023
  • Clarity on Defra farm subsidies
  • Food, farming and nature consensus
  • Fungi biotechnology
  • Raise the pulse
  • Soil organisms in parks
20 January 2023
  • England Envt Targets
  • EU soil indicator
  • Soil and gut health
  • Soil carbon calculations
  • Soil microbes and climate change

 

13 January 2023
  • Global Farm Metric framework
  • Soil biodiversity policies
  • London rewilding with horses
  • Crop mixtures help soils
  • First Food Diversity Day
06 January 2023
  • New SFI payment
  • Low SFI uptake
  • Soil Health Action Plan
  • Dead bodies used in compost
  • Organic matter helps soils hold nitrogen
23 December 2022
  • Livestock river pollution
  • UK agricultural land use 
  • Earthworms decline
  • Brussel sprouts
  • Dark chocolate, soils and heavy metals
16 December 2022
  • Land Use Framework
  • Clarity on ELMS 
  • COP15 
  • Inquiry into soil health
  • US soil erosion
09 December 2022
  • World Soil Day
  • Soil in COP15
  • UK Farm Soil Carbon report
  • Plant your pants campaign
  • Cycling for soil
02 December 2022
  • Nature key to food security
  • Nitrogen pollution from farms
  • US Farm Bill 
  • COP27 agreement
  • Less grazing improving soils
25 November 2022
  • Environment targets
  • Fertiliser profits rise
  • Soil carbon in Kenya
  • UNEP Peatland Report
  • Cycling for Soils
18 November 2022
  • Future of ELMS 
  • COP27 on soil
  • EU law on carbon removal
  • Rewarding organic farming
  • Sustainable rice
11 November 2022
  • COP27 and soils 
  • WWF Basket Report
  • Soil carbon market myths
  • Crises drive regen transition
  • Growing food in Mars soil
04 November 2022
  • Fast-track nature farm reforms
  • Soils, farming and the climate report
  • ELMS protect water from soil
  • Compostable packaging not composting
  • Martian soil samples
28 October 2022
  • New Defra ministers
  • Soil carbon schemes
  • UK crop yields and climate change 
  • Microplastics in Soil- UN reports
  • New technologies for soil health
21 October 2022
  • Drought persisting to 2023
  • Tenant farmers Review
  • Natural England chair on ELMS
  • WWF on protecting nature
  • Good Food Good Farming march
14 October 2022
  • UK Soils Awareness Week 
  • Good Food Good Farming March
  • European Environment Agency on nitrogen
  • Pesticides in soils impact ancient buried metals
  • Economics of agroecological transition
07 October 2022
  • Conservative Party conference
  • George Eustice argues for ELMs
  • Welsh Agriculture Bill
  • EU consulting on Soil Health Law
  • UK Soils Awareness Week
30 September 2022
  • Concerns for ELMS
  • $1.9 trillion biodiversity loss-risk
  • Soil health in US farm bill
  • World Soil Day 2023
  • Soil moisture and crop yields
23 September 2022
  • Organic September
  • GMOs in Argentina
  • US sewage sludge
  • Soil health and potatoes
  • Rock dust and peat soils
16 September 2022
  • Dry soils and winter food shortages
  • Climate change and multi-breadbasket failures
  • Task force on construction and soil
  • Warm soils help crop pests
  • Perennial wheats and soil health
09 September 2022
  • New Defra secretary
  • Regenerative farming resilience
  • Dry soils impact railways
  • Forever chemicals in groundwater
  • Property and sustainable food
02 September 2022
  • Ban peat for gardening by 2024
  • Drought in South West
  • Post-Brexit UK soil policy
  • Young people and soil health
  • Healthy soils needed for wine
26 August 2022
  • Soil carbon benefits for poor farms
  • Costs preventing farm climate actions
  • Oilseed rape not solution to soil compaction
  • Soil microbiomes and our health
  • Alfalfa and Martian soil
19 August 2022
  • Defra drought support
  • Welsh Sustainable Farming Scheme Survey
  • Farmers seek more reservoirs
  • Soil contamination in war in Ukraine
  • Research on microplastics in soil
12 August 2022
  • Drought impacting soils
  • China national soil survey
  • Australian firms making soil carbon money
  • Soil bacteria reducing fertiliser use
  • Electrocuting soils to deal with forever chemicals
05 August 2022
  • World Congress of Soil Science
  • Defra farmer survey
  • UN on microplastics in soil
  • New approach to soil health 
  • Peatlands in Congo
29 July 2022
  • UK drought to affect soils
  • Action on peat paused
  • Nature-Friendly Farming Network report
  • Earth’s topsoil at risk
  • Australia’s soils ‘poor’
22 July 2022
  • 25 Year Environment Plan Progress
  • CPRE report
  • Heat affecting soils and crops
  • Action needed on microplastics in soils 
  • New Fungi species
15 July 2022
  • EA Working with Nature
  • NFU report on soil health
  • International soil carbon credits
  • Soil quality key for heat stress
  • Biodynamic wine and soils
08 July 2022
  • Wales farming scheme proposal
  • Peatland burnings
  • Tesco and River Wye
  • WWF Feeding the Future
  • Soil pollution and heart disease
01 July 2022
  • SFI opens 
  • Climate Change Commission reports
  • Investigation of water regulations
  • UK joins global food coalition
  • Nature-based farming and fertiliser
24 June 2022
  • Scottish farm payments move earlier 
  • EU halving pesticides 
  • Groundswell 2022
  • World Rainforest Day and food security 
  • Wetter farm seeking to help peat
17 June 2022
  • Government Food Strategy
  • Feeding Britain Report
  • Nestle Wheat Plan
  • Biochar buried in farm soils
  • Weeds good for soil
10 June 2022
  • Defra slurry storage grants
  • NFU and Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
  • Illegal peat burning
  • Soils in food and farming revolution
  • Soil art in Scotland
27 May 2022
  • Defra action for pollinators
  • UN global action on soil
  • Monbiot’s new book, Regenesis
  • Agrochemical microplastics in soil
  • Chelsea Flower Show
20 May 2022
  • Major decline in UK insects
  • Imported soils damage UK soil
  • Sadhguru calls for Global treaty for soil
  • Yeo Valley seeks increase in soil carbon
  • Plants grown in moon soil
13 May 2022
  • UK environmental tipping point
  • Basic payments forwarded to farmers
  • Food education at farms
  • Ben and Jerry’s regenerative farming
  • Soil pollution in churchyards
06 May 2022
  • Scotland's Sustainable Farming
  • Nutrient pollution law and housebuilding
  • Ireland funds EU soil research
  • Role of soil carbon in climate mitigation
  • Best British Beans
29 April 2022
  • Violations of the Farming Rules for Water
  • NFU and Green Alliance on ELMS
  • Levelling up Englands rural economy
  • 40% of worlds land degraded
  • Rock dust can help soils
22 April 2022
  • Climate change education
  • Politics of protein and soils
  • Communities connecting with family farms
  • Forest edges growth
  • Soil pores
15 April 2022
  • SFI not paying enough 
  • EU supports carbon farming
  • Food system not climate change ready
  • US Midwest losses 57.6trn tons of topsoil
  • The farmers behind Easter eggs
08 April 2022
  • IPCC on soil carbon
  • NFU warn food crisis
  • SFT on green hydrogen fertiliser
  • Soils under concrete
  • Soil and veganism
01 April 2022
  • Defra fertiliser support
  • SFI update
  • Peat in the horticulture industry
  • Riverford launch planet fund
  • Soil minerals and Covid-19
25 March 2022
  • Northern Ireland soil health scheme opens
  • UK Agriculture Partnership on soil
  • IfG reports on post-Brexit agriculture
  • EU halts Nature Protection package
  • Soil governance reviewed
18 March 2022
  • Fertiliser prices impact on soil health
  • Defra Environmental Targets
  • Red Tractor Standards and pesticides
  • Soil crusts prevent erosion
  • Guinness focus on soil health
11 March 2022
  • DAERA soil health advice
  • Soil food web
  • Eat insects help soils
  • Save Soils Campaign
  • Soils in Spring planting
04 March 2022
  • IPCC Report
  • Call to ban peat sales
  • Soil health impacts on nutrition
  • The sound of soil
  • Veganism and soil
25 February 2022
  • Research on peat ban
  • Construction soil specialists needed
  • Birch trees help soil plastic
  • Weeds show soil health
  • Fashion for healthy soil
18 February 2022
  • Defra learning as it goes with ELMs
  • $675bn subsidies harm soils
  • Peat soils in £10m landscape recovery research project
  • soils resilience strategy
  • Grasslands help soils and plants connect
11 February 2022
  • Defra raises peat grassland water levels
  • WWF farm soils net-zero role
  • Garden centre peat-free training
  • Fringe farms need soil
  • Grassland wildfire carbon sinks
04 February 2022
  • Rothamsted show climate risks soil
  • Defra opens landscape recovery scheme
  • Welsh govt farm carbon offset fears
  • Regenerative forestry helps soil
  • Soils lose, profit wins with big tractors
28 January 2022
  • Lords’ report on nature-based solutions
  • Defra drive woodland creation
  • Global Forum focused on soil
  • Soil under hedgerows capture CO2
  • Drying peat risk buried treasure
21 January 2022
  • Govt Climate Change Risk Assessment 
  • Commons Committee report on water quality
  • Research funding for soils
  • Chemical pollution beyond safe limit
  • Earthworms damaged by microplastics
14 January 2022
  • House of Commons Committee on Defra’s ELM
  • Scottish funds for biodiversity 
  • Carbon farming in the EU
  • Microplastics in tropical soils
  • Urban worms mission
07 January 2022
  • Oxford Farming Conference
  • Oxford Real Farming Conference
  • Northern Ireland and Defra consultations
  • FAO state of land and water
  • EU call for proposals
17 December 2021
  • UK Food Security Report 
  • Agribusinesses lobbying for weaker EU policies
  • Ownership of data in farming
  • Environment Agency video on River Axe catchment
  • Success of city allotments
10 December 2021
  • UK Food Security Report 
  • Agribusinesses lobbying for weaker EU policies
  • Ownership of data in farming
  • Environment Agency video on River Axe catchment
  • Success of city allotments
03 December 2021
  • New details on Defra’s SFI
  • SSA Soil in the Supply Chain report 
  • FAO announcements for World Soil Day
  • Calls for soil carbon code
  • Mapping fungi
26 November 2021
  • Reforms to EU CAP
  • Peatlands in National Parks
  • Handheld soil test sensor
  • Antibiotics impact on soil microbes
  • Soil erosion and regenerative agriculture
19 November 2021
  • EU soil strategy for 2030
  • Office for Environment Protection
  • UK Farm Soil Carbon Code stakeholder event 
  • New Soil Carbon Guide
  • Nitrous oxide emissions
12 November 2021
  • COP26
  • England’s Environment Act
  • Scotland joins 4 per 1000
  • WWF Retailer Commitment for Nature
  • UNCCD on Sustainable Land Management
05 November 2021
  • COP26
  • Soil Nutrient Health Scheme for Northern Ireland
  • BSSS on soil carbon 
  • IUCN UK Peatland booklet series
  • Soil health for Net Zero farming
29 October 2021
  • Soil amendment rejected from Environment Bill
  • EFRA concerns over direct farm payments
  • 20-50% of soils too salty to be fertile
  • Farmer-focused supply chains 
  • Government agencies buying peat compost
21 October 2021
  • Environment Bill in the Commons
  • More on England’s Soil Health Action Plan
  • Government response to Climate Change Committee
  • Soils and greenhouse gas removal
  • EUSO stakeholder forum
14 October 2021
  • Environment Agency Climate Adaptation report 
  • Soil Amendment to England’s Environment Bill
  • Natural England on woodland creation
  • Farmers trust in ‘experts’
  • SSA is hiring!
08 October 2021
  • Recommendations to improve UK’s water quality
  • Benefits of Agroforestry
  • Documentaries on farming with nature
  • Farming on Marxian soil
  • Studying deep soil
01 October 2021
  • Soil’s role in UK’s climate change mitigation
  • UK’s impact on global biodiversity
  • Northern Ireland’s future farming
  • Saline soils in Bangladesh
  • Volcanic soil bacteria
24 September 2021
  • UK’s regulatory bodies call for action
  • Lead up to COP26
  • Sustainable barley trials
  • Chelsea Flower Show winners
  • Plastic impact on soil health
17 September 2021
  • ELM’s lacking farmer support
  • Global impact of agricultural subsidies
  • Delay’s to England’s Environment Bill
  • Saving our Soils report
  • Soil health in Chelsea Flower Show
10 September 2021
  • Soils in England’s Environment Bill
  • Soil loss to increase 13–22.5 % in EU and UK
  • CPRE report on Hedgerows
  • FAO resources on soil organic carbon
  • IUCN World Conservation Congress
03 September 2021
  • Amendments to Environment Bill
  • Inflating figures on nature conservation
  • Soil biodiversity outcome document
  • Diverse landscapes increasing yields
  • Earthworms and soil quality
27 August 2021
  • EA’s regulatory statement on applying organic manure
  • Scotlands ‘New Vision for Land Use’ report 
  • RHS survey on British gardeners peat use 
  • UN Biodiversity Conference delayed
  • Farming systems that promote ecosystem benefit
13 August 2021
  • 6th IPCC report 
  • Local Nature Recovery Strategies consultation
  • Implications of net zero targets for land and food equity
  • Barriers to soil testing for beef and sheep farming
  • Increase in regenerative farming
06 August 2021
  • Expansion of Catchment Sensitive Farming
  • New guidance for Farming Rules for Water
  • German agricultural soils to help flood mitigation
  • Soil moisture driving Africa’s severe floods
  • Petition to ban synthetic pesticides in public areas
30 July 2021
  • Welsh regulations challenged by NFU Cymru
  • Soil loss by water erosion in EU and UK to increase
  • Review of carbon credit protocols 
  • Extreme weather prompts sustainable rotations on pilot farm
  • Irish soil monitoring app
23 July 2021
  • Environment Agency hiring farm inspectors
  • Concerns over biodiversity metric 
  • New York State’s Soil Health and Climate Resiliency Act
  • New buzzword ‘regenerative agriculture’
  • Glossary of farming and environmental jargon
16 July 2021
  • The National Food Strategy
  • Grant awarded to develop and pilot a UK Farm Soil Carbon Code
  • Microsoft requests proposals for CDR tonnage
  • Stakeholder event on the UK soil carbon marketplace
  • Prince of Wales on sustainable agriculture
09 July 2021
  • Defra’s Agricultural Transition Plan
  • EAC calls for urgent shadow target for soil health
  • Soil amendments debated in the House of Lords
  • UN call to restore degraded land
  • Joint NGO letter on peat compost sales
02 July 2021
  • Defra’s Agricultural Transition Plan
  • EAC calls for urgent shadow target for soil health
  • Soil amendments debated in the House of Lords
  • UN call to restore degraded land
  • Joint NGO letter on peat compost sales
25 June 2021
  • Groundswell 2021
  • Environment Bill enters Committee Stage
  • EU CAP failing to support climate-friendly farming
  • Soil farmer of the year
  • Waitrose banning peat compost
18 June 2021
  • The CCC’s Third Climate Change Risk Assessment
  • UK government responds to the Dasgupta Review
  • Defra’s updates to the OIF
  • G7 legacy nature project
  • China’s soil erosion decreases
11 June 2021
  • Updates on Defra’s Sustainable Farming Initiative
  • 2nd annual progress report on Climate Ready Scotland
  • Costs for welsh farmers to comply to river pollution regulations
  • Soil pollution makes headlines
  • McCain’s regenerative agriculture pledge
03 June 2021
  • Failure to protect agricultural pollution of England’s rivers
  • Institute of Government report on post-Brexit regulations
  • Call for Welsh government to ban peat use
  • FAO Soil Pollution report
  • Environment Agency net zero road map
28 May 2021
  • Environment Bill returns to parliament
  • Natural England funding
  • EU reforming the Common Agricultural Policy
  • UK’s first carbon mapping service
  • UKRI trials to absorb CO2
21 May 2021
  • New target for biodiversity in England
  • England’s Peatland and Trees Action Plans
  • Soil as a nature-based solution for COP26
  • Silvopasture trial in Devon
  • Subsoil for climate change predictive models
14 May 2021
  • New Planning Bill
  • European Commission ‘zero-pollution’
  • Nature-based Solution for Climate Change report
  • UK farmers facing extreme weather conditions
  • Australia’s National Soils Strategy
07 May 2021
  • England Environment Bill updates
  • Defra peat restoration grant scheme
  • Pesticides harming soil organisms
  • Soils and Stones report
  • SSA Spring Newsletter
30 April 2021
  • Launch of Global Farm Metrics
  • EU resolution on soil protection
  • NFFN call for Scottish political parties
  • Implementing carbon farming in the EU
  • Policy instruments for soil protection
23 April 2021
  • The Global Symposium on Soil Biodiversity
  • Natural England carbon storage by habitat
  • Carbon-sequestration of Irish soils
  • 50 Next selects Soilmentor creator
  • Undies for soil health
16 April 2021
  • State of UK’s woods and trees
  • NFU Cymru launch legal challenge over new water rules
  • New app on Scottish soil erosion
  • Role of legume cultivation for soil and human health
  • Monitoring soil functions in Europe
09 April 2021
  • Peat free April
  • Call for a coalition of river users
  • Potential new committee on Environment and Climate Change
  • Environment Agency video on soil erosion
  • Soil health as a meaningful concept
01 April 2021
  • NFU ‘Confidence Survey’: farmers are increasing soil health investments
  • Environment Agency on environmental assessments for new RBMP
  • Pioneering UK soil carbon capture project
  • BSSS guidance for construction and planning
  • Cacao agroforestry improving soil fertility
26 March 2021
  • Calls for an agroecological bank
  • ‘30 minutes worms’ survey
  • RHS commits to going ‘peat-free’ by 2025
  • 25 years of soil data made freely available
  • Muddy potatoes to reduce food waste
19 March 2021
  • Concerns over SFI’s lack of ambition
  • Issues with the Farming Rules for Water
  • AHDB on soil carbon
  • European Geosciences Union awards 2021 Philippe Duchaufour Medal
  • Deforestation increasing antibiotic-resistant bacteria in soil
12 March 2021
  • Sustainable Farming Initiative (SFI) pilot
  • New SFI soil standards
  • Gender equity in soil science
  • Short film ‘From the Ground Up'
  • Impact of insecticides on soil nesting bees
05 March 2021
  • Whole of Wales made a nitrate vulnerable zone
  • Temporary environment watchdog announced by Defra
  • NGO letter to set legal targets for nature’s recovery
  • Unravelling soil carbon offsets
  • Soil biomes make great wines
26 February 2021
  • Environment Agency report on regulations
  • Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme
  • Forestry Commission accused of damaging peatland
  • Soil carbon in Australia
  • Glyphosate causing soil erosion
19 February 2021
  • Violations of the Farming Rules for Water
  • Growing Back Better report missing food and farming
  • BBC Radio 4 on rotational livestock and building soil carbon
  • Handheld soil probe developments
  • Loss of topsoil in US corn belt
15 February 2021
  • The Improved Countryside Stewardship scheme
  • ELM discussion document responses
  • Impact of CAP on sustainable soils management
  • Tree planting in carbon-rich soils
  • Microsoft buys soil carbon credits
05 February 2021
  • Public Accounts Committee report improvements to natural environment
  • The Dasgupta Review
  • New Welsh regulations
  • Responses to the EFRA Committee's inquiry
  • Peat legislation
29 January 2021
  • Environment Bill delayed
  • Responses to Defra’s Challenges and Choices consultation
  • Soil Association 2020 Progress Report
  • BBC Food article 
  • Microplastics in Mediterranean seagrass soil
22 January 2021
  • This Good Earth premiers
  • Investigating the ‘60 harvests’ left claim
  • UN SoiLEX database
  • Antibiotics in Irish soil
  • Biodiversity in urban soils
15 January 2021
  • One Planet Summit for Biodiversity
  • Oxford Real Farming Conference
  • FAO 2020 updates on agricultural emissions
  • UK emergency authorisation of neonics
  • EU consortium for sustainable agricultural soil management
08 January 2021
  • Office for Environmental Protection leader announced
  • The Good Soil Guide
  • Real Oxford Farming Conference
  • Danone soil health program
  • Farming for Change report
18 December 2020
  • Flooding and soil erosion in the UK
  • Big brands to assess soil health in France
  • Sustainable farming scheme in Wales
  • Rewilding report
  • Garden centre sanctions for selling peat compost
11 December 2020
  • First report on soil biodiversity
  • The Sixth Carbon Budget
  • New report on Welsh farming
  • Natural England to adopt tougher monitoring of SSSIs
  • Artificial soil’s
04 December 2020
  • England's new roadmap for sustainable farming
  • EU Soil Observatory
  • New map of soil organic carbon
  • BBC soil animation
  • Launch of a community soil hub: uksoils!
27 November 2020
  • UK 2020 Spending Review
  • Soil compound for antibiotic resistance
  • Worm-like soil-swimming robots
  • Soil respiration dataset, lunar soil
  • Lunar soil
20 November 2020
  • UK PM’s climate plan references soil health
  • US president’s advisors call for a carbon bank for farmers
  • UK peatland burning debate
  • Social-ecological framework for soil carbon policy
  • Meadow’s soil carbon quantified
13 November 2020
  • England's Agricultural bill becomes law
  • Soil Association report ‘Grow back better’
  • Natural England budget cuts
  • SSA executive co-director on soil carbon
  • Ensuring your chocolate bar isn't degrading soils
06 November 2020
  • Rise in global temperatures leading to release in soil carbon
  • England ’s new Nature Recovery Network
  • Phosphate in Welsh rivers
  • EU nitrate directive insufficient
  • Tracking your beer’s barley for soil health
30 October 2020
  • NCC report on UK's 25 YEP
  • Unchecked report on UK’s enforcement gap
  • Forbes encouraging investing in healthy soils
  • Waitrose farm swapping machines for sheep
  • Soil phosphorus in Northern Ireland
23 October 2020
  • EU habitats at risk
  • EU on farm carbon sequestration
  • UK biodiversity net gain for developers
  • Soil disturbance impact on plant growth
  • Asteroid soil
16 October 2020
  • Noah’s ark of soil microbes
  • Agricultural Bill amendments rejected
  • NFU’s new report
  • Home developments on peatland
  • Sewage pollution risks
09 October 2020
  • Earthshot Prize
  • Underestimated nitrous oxide emissions
  • ‘Nature Means Business’ report
  • EA limited funding
  • Poultry units pollution
02 October 2020
  • England's farms inspected every 263 years
  • UN Biodiversity Summit
  • Kew Gardens new report
  • Northern Real Farming Conference
  • McDonald’s fund for potato farmers
25 September 2020
  • ‘Kiss the Ground’ documentary
  • Lords amendments to Agricultural Bill
  • EU Horizon soil mission
  • GSBI unites with EU Coalition for biodiversity
  • UK pesticide ban
18 September 2020
  • WWF’s 'Living Planet Report 2020’
  • New data on soil lifespans
  • ’Nitrate-trading’ pilot scheme
  • UK rivers polluted
  • Long-lasting impacts of deforestation
10 September 2020
  • IUCN report
  • Soil erosion by water analysis
  • Soil age regulates silicon cycling
  • Long term no till trials
  • Soils that liquify
03 September 2020
  • Microplastics impact soil life
  • Importing sewage sludge
  • Soil sniffers
  • Increasing Great Plains soil conservation
  • Climate change and permafrost microbes
27 August 2020
  • Soil erosion from water runoff to increase in next 50 years
  • Ranchers & conservationists join forces to save US grassland
  • Tech solutions for soil degradation
  • Carbon negative farming
  • Biochar in action
20 August 2020
  • Soil as extreme weather resilience
  • The risks of a disrupted nitrogen cycle
  • Nature Recovery Network pilots
  • Organic gardening on the increase
  • A global soil spectral library
13 August 2020
  • Wheat, wheatgrass and earthworms remediating polluted soil
  • New technologies increase effectiveness of soil testing after oil spills
  • Trees as important drivers of microbial communities
  • Advances in soil sampling
  • CO2 emissions from tropical soils
06 August 2020
  • SSA's responds to Defra’s ELM policy discussion
  • Agriculture Bill debate transcripts
  • UK’s global land use impact
  • Soil carbon in agricultural systems
  • Evidence nature destruction increases pandemic threat
30 July 2020
  • National Food Strategy Pt 1
  • Tree planting and soil carbon
  • Ground-nesting bees
  • Nature at the heart of development
  • Decreasing soil animal biomass
24 July 2020
  • Natural Capital Committee 25 YEP progress report
  • UK soil management survey results,
  • Acting to ban peat burning & horticultural use
  • Soil-to-soil textile processes
  • $1m soil health research funding
16 July 2020
  • EAC consultations
  • 30% degraded arable soils
  • UK announce Trade & Agriculture commission,
  • Wastewater fertiliser
  • Call for a Clean Soil Act
09 July 2020
  • SSA’s Director on the 100 harvests question
  • Land management as the root cause of zoonotic disease
  • Halving pesticide use to save insects
  • Supporting nature for a resilient bounce back
  • Fermented vs composted waste
02 July 2020
  • Agriculture Bill concerns
  • A ‘soil-first’ approach to farming
  • UK net zero progress and direction
  • Carbon and soil function
  • Soil life in the Amazon
25 June 2020
  • Defra consultation and stakeholder sessions
  • Shifting goalposts in ELM
  • Predicting soil respiration
  • Soil moisture’s impacts on microbial activity and carbon dynamics
  • Restoring soil health in Nepal

18 June 2020
  • WWF report urges a green recovery
  • National Trust’s agroecology triumph
  • UN Desertification & Drought Day
  • Black Lives Matter in environment and soils
  • Soil health and crop quality
11 June 2020
  • CerealsLive2020
  • New Sustain briefing on land-use
  • Ag Bill in House of Lords 2nd reading
  • Plant diversity impacts soil 
  • Eight-soil improvers to buy
04 June 2020
  • SSA report future of land and soil health
  • James Hutton Institute on plant growth
  • Research to support improved soil health
  • Tolerant rice growing in China
  • Pivotal moment for organics 
28 May 2020
  • Report on growing US regenerative agriculture 
  • Carbon footprint tool for UK farmers
  • Article on regenerative agriculture and climate
  • Newly discovered microbe
  • Bacteria could boost soil health
21 May 2020
  • OF&G land-sparing/sharing maps
  • George Monbiot on ecology education
  • Agricology video thanks farmers
  • China reversing desertification
  • Farmerama on enlightened agriculture
14 May 2020
  • Agroecology amendments in Ag bill called
  • Green Alliance seek green recovery
  • New approach to farming for fashion
  • Soil pathogens rise as soil temperatures do
  • Indian farmers support sustainable agriculture
07 May 2020
  • Compost Awareness Week
  • FAO policy brief on water management
  • Relationship between monsoon rains and soil
  • Japan explore growing food on radiation contaminated soil
  • Soil pores hold key to stability of desert soils 
30 April 2020
  • Sanitised soil could stem bleeding wounds
  • EU assess soil loss from water erosion
  • New antibiotic in Mexican rainforest soil
  • Human activity leaves soil chemical footprint
  • Green Alliance discuss future of food supplies
23 April 2020
  • Unsustainable soil erosion
  • Straw improves soils 
  • Soil key to farmers tackling climate change
  • Continuous soil monitoring needed
  • Earth Day
16 April 2020
  • Plastic mulch damages soil
  • Labour shortages
  • Feeding the Nation
  • New Over the Farmgate podcast
  • Future of Land management series webinar
09 April 2020
  • ELMs consultation closed by Covid
  • Natural Capital Committee report on nature-based solutions
  • EFRA Committee looks at food supply in pandemic
  • Reason for smell of earth after rain
  • Peat Free April continues
02 April 2020
  • Soil Structure and its benefits
  • Soil's role in tackling floods
  • Peat Free April begins
  • HS2 work affects soils
  • Cover crop mixes impact soils
26 March 2020
  • Soil monitoring gets limited funding 
  • Farmers seeking local help
  • France declares glyphosate as vital 
  • Soil education resources for children 
  • Birdwatching can help us
20 March 2020
  • Soil monitoring FOI
  • Tenant farmers and soil management
  • World's carbon stores 
  • Plants cleaning crude oil in Amazon
  • Nature improving well-being
12 March 2020
  • Green Alliance Report
  • UK organic cotton sales up
  • Soil microbes and soil nitrogen
  • Agricultural Resilience Act
  • Use plants to grow soil
05 March 2020
  • UK flooding Inquiry
  • Gardening tips for soil
  • Amazon rainforest and carbon
  • Cover crops help soil health
  • Oil palm plantations impact microfauna
28 February 2020
  • SFI pilot plans published
  • Gender Equity in soil science
  • From the Ground up film
  • Govt environmental principles reduced
  • SoilTalks launched by uksoils and SoilCare
20 February 2020
  • Billions being made from pesticides
  • Rebecca Pow made Environment Minister
  • Soil key to agricultural productivity
  • Muck could help reduce flood risks
  • Plant gardens rather than build houses
17 February 2020
  • Debates over new Environment Bill
  • Agriculture Bill in Parliament
  • Future of soil conservation in Europe
  • Austrian map of world soil erosion
  • George Monbiot highlights peat burning
06 February 2020
  • Environment Bill not covering soil
  • US sustainable cotton coming to Europe
  • National Food Strategy considers agroecology
  • Microplastics leaving soils unsuitable for farming
  • Organic sales in UK grown 
30 January 2020
  • Plants manipulate soils
  • New soil foundation launched in Europe
  • Ranchers and vegans should work together
  • US soil scientist urges payments for soil carbon
  • Artificial microreservoirs 
24 January 2020
  • Climate Change Commission report on land-use
  • Govt environment bodies pledge to tackle climate emergency
  • Soil neglected in construction
  • Lake District facing substantial soil erosion
  • Plastic tree guards plague new woodland
16 January 2020
  • Soil in Agriculture Bill
  • EU environmental directives UK withdrawal
  • Economics of soil regeneration in Europe
  • US losing millions of tonnes of soil to erosion
  • Yorkshire shepherd Nuffield Scholar
10 January 2020
  • SSA at Oxford Real Farming Conference
  • Soil-health focused CAP reforms
  • Soil is solution to future water and food security
  • Put price on soils
  • Soil drying due to climate change
12 December 2019
  • Soil in election manifestos
  • MEPs call for legal protection for land
  • Turkey facing soil degradation 
  • Biological soil crusts
  • Welsh govt support controlled environment farming
06 December 2019
  • World Soil Day
  • Soil erosion in Scotland and India
  • Farmland soil has low shelf-life
  • Diversity of soil organic matter important
  • UK soils and sugar
29 November 2019
  • Prof Jane Rickson talks soil on Radio 4
  • Politicians' failure to protect soils
  • Microplastics in soil alter soils
  • Isabella Tree on Desert Island Discs
  • Preparing soils for Spring
21 November 2019
  • Pesticides
  • Climate change and soils
  • Cardboard and soils
  • Scotland and future soils' resilience
  • New tool to assess soils
14 November 2019
  • Carbon storage
  • Veg growing and heavy rain
  • Nuclear technique to test soils
  • Decline in German insects and spiders
  • Multiple benefits of outdoor learning
08 November 2019
  • Rice under threat
  • Soil influences microbe communities
  • Soil bacteria protect crops against fungi
  • Biodiverse soils help with mental ill-health
  • Change vegetation driers soil more
01 November 2019
  • Climate change threatens South East farming
  • Environment Bill passes 2nd reading
  • Lake sediments increased over 4000 years
  • Soil microbes and wild fire
  • Future landscapes
24 October 2019
  • A Scottish Council approves peat extraction
  • Environment Bill 'not fit for purpose'
  • Agricultural Bill reintroduced
  • 1/3 of UK fresh 'cocktail' of pesticides
  • Soil key to saving family farms
17 October 2019
  • Understanding microplastics in soil
  • Latest version of Environment Bill 
  • Study accurately calculates soil carbon
  • World Food Day
  • Growing food on moon may be possible
11 October 2019
  • Adding compost increases soil carbon
  • Adding fungus to tomatoes increases yield
  • Military papers help soils 
  • Rothamsted launches dating site for papers
  • Cannabis plants help soil
04 October 2019
  • Social enterprise composting waste in Paris 
  • New soil moisture sensor
  • Australia's mangroves are carbon sink 
  • Organic cotton T-shirt can save water
  • NFU held debate on Brexit
27 September 2019
  • UN Climate Summit
  • Meeting of global agricultural ministers
  • Soil microbes make plants resistant
  • Earthworms triple after cover crops
  • Labour Party focus on net zero
19 September 2019
  • Carbon farming ramping up
  • Soil microbes breakdown pollutants
  • BBC on soil bacteria
  • Worms fail in microplastic soils
  • Soils changed to face earthquakes
06 September 2019
  • RSPB blog on Ag Bill
  • US research on soil fungal diversity
  • Long-read on fungal-plant interactions
  • Sustain declares Climate emergency
  • All growers should test soils 
30 August 2019
  • World water quality crisis
  • Organic gases from soils reactive
  • Robots help take soil samples
  • Bees exposed to lethal pesticides
  • Research on soil microbes and drought
23 August 2019
  • Salty soils 
  • Soil carbon and forest fires
  • Recreate pocket peat areas
  • Soil microbe patterns 
  • Northern Ireland soil sampling
08 August 2019
  • IPCC report on climate change
  • Amazon can act as carbon sink
  • Recarbonisation of global soils
  • 24 Hours in Farming
  • US ag 48x more toxic 
01 August 2019
  • SSA soap box
  • New environment ministers
  • No deal Brexit and farming 
  • Food, Poverty, Health and Environment Committee
  • Soil pore structure important
26 July 2019
  • Nematodes in the Arctic
  • Cigarettes in soils impact plants
  • Children's meals are poor 
  • Cereal makers and soil health
  • UK soil policymaking 
19 July 2019
  • SSA, soils and Westminster
  • Aviation and soil management
  • Spain will suffer desertification 
  • Human composting
  • Animals are key 
19 July 2019
  • SSA, soils and Westminster
  • Aviation and soil management
  • Spain will suffer desertification 
  • Human composting
  • Animals are key 
04 July 2019
  • Allotment soil safer
  • Biochar helps soil carbon
  • Iran and world soil loss
  • New soil app
  • Test soils in paddocks 
20 June 2019
  • World Day to Combat desertification
  • Cut farm ammonia could save lives
  • Soil biodiversity and radiation
  • US farms supported to diversify
  • New book on environmental policy
14 June 2019
  • Guardian list for net zero
  • Green Brexit
  • AHDB soil health indicator
  • Soil erosion in Tanzania
  • Drones tracking soil loss
07 June 2019
  • EA soil report
  • Soil in landfill 
  • Contaminated topsoils 
  • Innovating soil competition
  • Global soil week 
31 May 2019
  • WWF soils key for food security
  • Big Soil community sampling
  • Cereals event 2019 
  • Disastrous loss of topsoil 
  • US soil health laws
23 May 2019
  • Earthworms key to human survival
  • Wheelie bin worm farms 
  • Small farms declining 
  • Economics and soil erosion by water
  • Meat-free school meal
17 May 2019
  • 25 Year Environment Plan indicators
  • Report on soil management
  • Global Symposium on Soil Erosion
  • Earthworms key measure of soil health
  • Plants tailor own soils
10 May 2019
  • IBPES Global biodiversity assessment
  • Soil and public policy
  • 100 harvests not based on evidence
  • Plant hormone under stress
  • Bio-fertilisers and soil health
03 May 2019
  • FFCC looks at rural poverty
  • Climate Change Commission report
  • Radio 4 on climate change and soil
  • Dire soil situation in China
  • Beavers released in Yorkshire
26 April 2019
  • Groundswell Director talks soil 
  • Scottish farmers could do more on soil
  • China and soil pollution 
  • Flood-water induced soil loss
  • Bill Gates on soil and climate change
11 April 2019
  • Three Year Experts Review
  • Syngenta recognises farming shift
  • European Journal of Soil Science
  • Pesticides and polluted streams
  • Vertical farming
05 April 2019
  • Brexit and the environment
  • Farmer awarded carbon credits
  • Organically-farmed soils 
  • Dying soils in Europe
  • Natural climate solutions approach
29 March 2019
  • Ploughing through Brexit podcast
  • Citizen soil science initiative
  • Organically-farmed soils 
  • Healthy soils and cotton
  • Soil microbes and climate
22 March 2019
  • SSA on Economics of Soil
  • Environmental regulations
  • Biodiversity and new housing
  • Review of glyphosate
  • Soil minerals as carbon sink
15 March 2019
  • Carbon in Spring Statement
  • Future food and agriculture report
  • Soil Health and Human Health
  • Cover crops and Soil Health
  • Bees exposed to pesticides
07 March 2019
  • Soil on Farming Today
  • Turning point for soil 
  • Ways to measure soil health
  • Earthworm studies
  • Soil bacteria found
01 March 2019
  • Ten Years for Agroecology
  • No deal Brexit
  • Biodiversity for food and ag
  • FAO new handbook
  • Underwater soils 
24 February 2019
  • Soil moisture impacts soil carbon
  • Soil and plants limit on emissions
  • McDonalds and soil Health
  • Soil forests take 80 yrs to recover
  • Importance of soil health
21 February 2019
  • Environmental policy halt
  • Sustain on Brexit and farming
  • Enhancing England's trees
  • Food in the anthropocene
  • Soil Conservation Bill
17 February 2019
  • Soil at the Eden Project
  • Seeds of Change Awards
  • World's permafrost soils rising
  • Soil in cities
  • New strain of antibiotic
14 February 2019
  • IPPR policy report
  • Global review on food
  • UK Green MEP on agrichemicals
  • Urban food growing sites
  • Topsoil loss in Canada
07 February 2019
  • Report on soil analysis 
  • Barriers to soil conservation 
  • Cleaning oil-soaked soils 
  • Racial politics and soil surveys
  • Best in Soil Show competition
01 February 2019
  • CPRE on nature-friendly farming
  • Prosecco and soil erosion
  • General Mills pursues regenerative ag
  • Soil degradation in India
  • Drought and soils