Key messages

Healthy soils are the basis for healthy food production.

Soils are the foundation for vegetation which is cultivated or managed for feed, fibre, fuel and medicinal products.

Soils support our planet's biodiversity and they host a quarter of the total.

Soils help to combat and adapt to climate change by playing a key role in the carbon cycle.

Soils store and filter water, improving our  resilience to floods and droughts.

Soil is a non-renewable resource; its preservation is essential for food security and our sustainable future.