Soil is more than the ground beneath our feet — it is a living system, a quiet partner in every breath we take and every meal we eat. Healthy soil stores water, filters pollutants, nurtures biodiversity, and stabilizes our climate. Yet today, soils across Europe and the world are under increasing pressure. Through intensive farming, monocultures, overuse of fertilizers, pesticides, and heavy machinery, the land is losing structure, nutrients, and resilience. Large-scale industrial agriculture, which dominates more than half of the EU’s farmland, accelerates erosion and weakens entire ecosystems.
Soil erosion is one of the most visible signs of this crisis. When fields are ploughed too deeply or left without plants to protect them, rain and wind remove the fertile top layer that took centuries to form. Climate change intensifies this by bringing more extreme weather: heavier storms, longer droughts, unpredictable seasons. Every year, millions of tons of soil are washed away or blown off fields — and once it is gone, it cannot easily return. At the same time, soil sealing through roads, cities, and industrial zones permanently removes land from ecological use, leaving nature fewer places to regenerate.
Pollution further burdens the land. Pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, manure, antibiotics, industrial chemicals, microplastics, and PFAS “forever chemicals” accumulate in soils where they can remain for decades. These contaminants weaken soil organisms — the insects, fungi, bacteria and roots that keep the earth alive. As soil life declines, fertility drops, water retention decreases, and the soil becomes more vulnerable to heat and drought. The pressure is not only environmental but also economic: land prices continue to rise, while powerful agribusinesses concentrate ownership, making it harder for smaller sustainable farms to survive.
Yet despite all this, soil carries an enormous potential for recovery. Nature-based farming — such as organic agriculture, agroforestry, mixed planting, and diverse crop rotations — can rebuild humus, restore soil life, and increase biodiversity. Hedges, flower strips, wetlands and reforested areas help protect fields from erosion and create habitats for countless species. Sustainable land management does not only heal the soil — it strengthens water cycles, supports pollinators, stores carbon, and stabilizes local climates. Healthy soil protects us from droughts, floods, and food insecurity. In protecting soil, we protect the very foundations of our shared future.