Summary
This policy-focused paper, based on a 2021 UK Food & Farming Futures workshop, examines the potential co-benefits and trade-offs between improved soil management, climate change mitigation, and agricultural productivity. The authors, supported by commentaries from leading researchers at Aberdeen University and Rothamsted Research, identify six primary co-benefits spanning environmental, economic, social and political domains, whilst identifying knowledge exchange and soil monitoring/verification as critical to overcoming implementation barriers. The work is framed around meeting global food production targets by 2050 whilst maintaining or enhancing soil health and carbon stocks.
UK applicability
Directly applicable to UK policy and practice. The paper draws on UK research expertise and addresses implementation priorities specific to achieving improved soil management in the UK by 2050, informed by national stakeholder engagement through Food & Farming Futures.
Key measures
Soil organic carbon (SOC), resource-use efficiency, agricultural productivity, climate change mitigation potential, natural capital indicators, crop yield, animal performance, and nutritional outcomes
Outcomes reported
The paper identifies six primary co-benefits of improved soil management: natural capital development, climate change mitigation, carbon trading, crop yield improvements, animal performance gains, and human health/nutritional benefits. It also maps research challenges, implementation priorities for soil management by 2050, and barriers centred on knowledge exchange regarding agri-environmental techniques.
Topic tags
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