A smart soil framework law proposal from Italy: Bridging the gap between policy and implementation

Abstract

Soil degradation, as well known, presents a critical challenge to agriculture and environmental sustainability. Despite advancements in soil science and numerous policies, soil degradation persists due to the complexities of soil systems, inadequate legal frameworks, and a lack of effective implementation tools. This paper is a follow-up of a previous work in Soil Security in which wicked problems concerning the sustainable use of soil have been addressed along with potential solutions. On this basis, here we present a soil framework law proposal – coded as legislative bill #2614 - developed by Italian soil scientists, with the goal of providing practical solutions for sustainable soil management at a national level. The proposed law, presented to the Italian Senate in 2013 and revised in 2022, focuses on preserving "soil health" and promoting soil-related ecosystem services. Although it has not yet been implemented, the proposal offers innovative approaches by integrating national and European environmental legislation, along with utilizing smart Spatial Decision Support Systems (S-DSS).