Soil Atlas 2024
Soils are vital to our survival. They store greenhouse gases and water and are home to at least a quarter of all living creatures on earth. However, over 60 percent of soils in the EU are damaged and their sealing threatens biodiversity.
- The soil is the MOST BIODIVERSE HABITAT on Earth. It is of immeasurable value and is vital for our survival.
- Healthy soils are key for CLIMATE action. They store more CARBON than forests do.
- Soils are NATURAL WATER RESERVOIRS. They help mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis, such as droughts, heavy rains, and floods.
- WORLDWIDE around ONE-THIRD of soils are DEGRADED. In the European Union (EU), more than 60 percent of soils are now classified as DAMAGED.
- Europe has the highest rate of SOIL SEALING of all continents. Once soil is sealed, it can no longer absorb water, contributing to FLOODS.
- Industrial agriculture often contributes to the LOSS OF FERTILE SOIL. Monocultures and the excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides harm soil life.
- A significant portion of scarce agricultural land is currently used to cultivate FEED FOR LIVESTOCK. A plant-based diet can help save land.
- The climate crisis and unsustainable agriculture drive DESERTIFICATION, causing soils to dry out. Thirteen EU Member States join the growing list of countries experiencing it.
- There are AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES to protect and use soils more SUSTAINABLY. Policies must support and strengthen their implementation, including through the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy.
- ONE PERCENT of the world’s farms manage more than 70 PERCENT of agricultural land. For investors, soils are a lucrative investment. Instead, policies should treat soils as a COMMON GOOD.
- Land grabs are on the rise in the name of climate action, often displacing Indigenous Peoples and local communities. PROTECTING LAND RIGHTS must therefore be an integral part of future climate policy.
-
Between 2012 and 2023, more than 2,100 people were killed in land conflicts. PROTECTING people’s HUMAN RIGHTS help ensure people are not murdered and can stay on their land.
The Soil Atlas 2024 presents data and facts about the importance and condition of land, soils and arable land. In numerous graphics and text contributions, it provides a current insight into the condition of and threats to the soils on which we live.
