Soil Atlas 2024

In recent years, research interest in biochar has gained significant attention in mainstream discourse. The sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilisers offers triple benefits: enhanced soil health, improved livelihoods, and climate protection. 

Funding climate protection through carbon certificates for soil may seem beneficial at first. However, a greater focus on soil health and supporting farmers in adopting sustainable practices would be far more effective in practice.

Healthy soils are a basic requirement for producing nutritious food, preserving biodiversity and adapting to climate change. But the condition of the soils is poor, with more than a third of the world's agricultural land being considered degraded. In the European Union, more than 60 percent of soils are now damaged - caused, among other factors, by industrial agriculture and the effects of the climate crisis such as droughts. This is outlined in the Soil Atlas 2024, published today by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung and TMG – Think Tank for Sustainability.

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.

Soil is the foundation of life on Earth. Its beauty and complexity as a living ecosystem are vast, and its functions are integral to our lives. For example, 95 percent of global food production depends on healthy soils, making access to fertile soil essential in the fight against hunger. Soils are also a crucial ally in adapting to climate change, as they help buffer the effects of droughts and floods. 

Soil degradation is a major but largely neglected global problem that threatens agricultural productivity, food security, and ecosystem health. Around one-third of soils worldwide are degraded, with over 40 percent located in Africa.

While desertification is a problem most commonly associated with Africa or Asia, it is not limited to these regions. Intensive agriculture and the climate crisis have also led to severe soil degradation and desertification in Europe. And not just in southern Europe: even countries with temperate and humid climates, such as Hungary and Bulgaria, are affected.