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Peat

Soils policy is about more than just government activity. Indeed, we campaign for action and policy change by a wide range of players: farming, urban and woodland; corporate and agency; national, regional and local; voluntary and regulatory.

The viable soils policy framework that we are calling for needs to embrace the respective roles and impact of all these organisations. It must also reflect and balance the three critical drivers of soil awareness, understanding and action.

  • Education: the development and distribution of soil management knowledge and understanding through monitoring, guidance, advice, peer-to-peer learning and other means
  • Regulation: the obligation to manage soil according to a particular outcome or practice, enforceable by legal, contractual or other levers
  • Incentivisation: the use of economic forces – both public and private – to influence soil management practices

Our project work examines these drivers, and the underlying policy levers to establish how they should best be designed to drive soil health awareness, understanding and behaviour change.  This raises fundamental questions about the science, economics, politics and practicalities of soil, including:

  • How to attach an economic value to our soil
  • How to overcome the barriers to public, political and farmer soil awareness and appreciation.
  • The importance of soil carbon as a provider of ecosystem services and potential revenue stream for farmers
  • How to develop a regulatory baseline for soil health that engages, not just penalises, farmers
  • What advice and guidance will motivate land managers to protect and improve their soils

Learn more about our current projects