04 April

We took a break from the Week in Soils last week as we took part in the Land Use for Net Zero People and Nature Hub Uplands and Protected Landscapes Big Tent event. This event sought to bridge the gap between UK researchers, land managers and policy-makers as they explore how land use can support the transition to Net Zero while reflecting on the economic and social needs of land managers and their communities. You can find out more about this event here.

Here’s the soil related news you might have missed over the past two weeks:

Nature Minister Mary Creagh announced plans to ban deep-peat burning (found at more than 30cm of depth) in order to safeguard habitats, tackle carbon emissions, and protect wildlife. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have opened a consultation for feedback prior to the introduction of the law.

The UK Government has established a Food Strategy Advisory Board (FSAB) which will bring together senior leaders from across the food system. The FSAB hopes to establish a national food strategy which grows the economy, feeds the nation, nourishes individuals, and protects the planet.

The UK Pesticides National Action Plan 2025 was launched last week, detailing the priorities of the four UK governments for the sustainable management of pests, weeds and diseases. This policy seeks to minimise the risks and impacts of pesticide use on the environment and human health, while supporting agricultural productivity.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced an extension of glyphosate’s authorisation in Great Britain until 15 December 2026. The decision will allow for a comprehensive review of the widely used herbicide’s safety, namely its adverse effects on biodiversity and human health.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy announced an additional £16million in funding for internal drainage boards (IDBs) in over 400,000 hectares of agricultural land across England. IDBs are the local public bodies who manage water levels for agricultural and environmental needs across the country.

Multiple large food and finance companies in the UK will collaborate on the ‘Routes to Regen’ project, demonstrating practical pathways to scaling regenerative agriculture. This initiative is being convened by the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), with a ten-year remit on regenerative food production systems transformation.

A group of major landowners, who together own 10% of England’s land, met with third-sector organisations ahead of the to discuss Land Use Framework for England consultation and how institutions with significant land holdings across the country can help to accelerate nature recovery.

This British Standards Institution (BSI) has launched world-leading nature finance standards to encourage green investment. These standards will help nature-friendly investments across the UK to grow, by building confidence among businesses that these investments are making a real difference for our natural environment.

A new British Ecological Society report finds strong evidence for the benefits of minimising bare soil. The report also highlights evidence which indicates that regenerative agriculture approaches can achieve positive environmental outcomes like improving soil health, increasing biodiversity and minimising environmental damage.

New research from the University of Melbourne has indicated that global declines in soil moisture in the 21st century could mark a “permanent” shift in the world’s water cycle. The study concludes that the Earth's soil moisture dropped by over 2,000 gigatons in roughly the last 20 years, warning that the observed changes are likely to be “permanent” if current warming trends continue.

A new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has warned that the genetic diversity of plants and forests is at risk. As the world faces widespread malnutrition, exacerbated by biodiversity loss, there is an urgent need to halt the loss of the genetic resources that support agri-food systems.

An international consortium of scientists has published findings from a new global study investigating which tree species fix the most carbon. The study included research on the growth of over 200 tree species, and found that conservative species were the most efficient at fixing carbon.

The Department for Education has confirmed the launch of a natural history GCSE, designed to help young people understand and respect the natural world, and contribute to the protection and conservation of the environment locally, nationally and internationally.