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Soil Research

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• This great editorial on the UK’s renewed attention to the nexus of soil and climate clearly illustrates how soil and land are becoming the key battleground between entrenched and powerful interests in farming and land ownership and climate governance.

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• Have you heard of the sol-to-soil textiles movement? The ecological impact of clothing has long been a blind spot, but new initiatives are springing up to address this and promote soil-friendly clothing and fashion.

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• The Society for the Environment has published the “Soil and Stones” report, which aims to support environmental professionals from sectors including engineering, construction, forestry, and agricultural management in the UK to best practice in soil management. You can also watch the launch event here.

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• Unilever is calling on the agri-food industry to develop an agreed set of principles for Regenerative Agriculture. It has defined its own Regenerative Agriculture Principles and Implementation Guidelines to be implemented via impact programs with its key brands. You can read more on their own website

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• Glyphosate has been a key element of the no-tillage and so soil conservation practices; growing concerns around herbicide resistance and health effects are putting its future in question. This fascinating paper provides a uniquely in-depth history of glyphosate, and draws some conclusions as to its future.

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• Silvopasture can regenerate soils, but there is little research on how it can work well within modern farming systems. Participatory research projects are helping to spread this approach in the UK

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Soil news

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• Finding the Mother Tree is a memoir by forest ecologist Suzanne Simard published this month. The book describes the author’s journey of scientifically discovering how trees communicate through mycorrhizal fungi. 

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• The European Commission adopted the EU Action Plan: “Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil” as part of the European Green Deal. The commission aims for a 50 percent reduction in nutrient losses and the use and risk of chemical pesticides. This target was also included in its Fram to Fork strategy.

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• The FAO has published a children’s book with stories about The magical world of soil biodiversity.

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Soil Talks, Walks, and Musings

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• SoilTalks 3 “Bringing Soils to Life: Getting the public excited about soils" Register here to join us on 8th June at 1pm GMT (2pm CEST). Click here for the webpage of the event. 

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