Soil degradation: An integrated model of the causes and drivers

Abstract

Soil plays a critical role in seven existential challenges that threaten sustainable development of human society. However, despite this integrative role, humans generally focus on the use of soil to produce the 98.8 % of calories that the growing human population demands while failing to appreciate the less tangible role of soil in other existential challenges such as climate change abatement. Our current agricultural management approaches are causing ongoing soil degradation, manifested as the loss of soil organic matter, acidification, over-application of fertilizers, erosion, salinization, contamination, and biodiversity loss. However, to develop workable, sustainable, and equitable solutions, these proximate causes of degradation need to be considered in combination with the socio-economic factors that are the underlying drivers of this soil degradation, including the economic drivers, land pressure, poverty, security of land tenure, the differences between on-site and off-site impacts of degradation, and the impact of policies. Consideration must also be given to the importance of both intergenerational and developmental equity, whereby the current generation considers future generations, and where developed countries consider those that are still developing. Through this approach, we present a novel, integrated framework for soil degradation that bridges biophysical and socio-economic dimensions of soil degradation, with this providing an approach for advancing global soil security as required to maintain planetary hospitability, both now and into the future.