Summary
This editorial introduces the second EJP SOIL special issue, which deepens the programme's evidence base on climate-smart agricultural soil management through 25 peer-reviewed contributions. The collection is organised around five themes: sustainable land management (including soil biodiversity and threat mitigation), climate change mitigation (particularly soil organic carbon sequestration and carbon farming certification), climate change adaptation (resilient farming systems), and two further thematic areas. The editorial contextualises how these research findings support both the EU's Carbon Removal Certification Framework and the transition towards sustainable European agriculture.
UK applicability
The UK, as a participant in European agricultural research networks, would benefit from the methodological advances in soil carbon monitoring and MRV frameworks presented in this collection. Findings on soil biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation strategies are directly applicable to UK farming systems, particularly in the context of UK environmental land management schemes and carbon farming policy.
Key measures
Soil organic carbon sequestration; soil biodiversity status; monitoring, reporting and verification methodologies for carbon farming; trade-offs between soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus; farm resilience to extreme weather and climatic change
Outcomes reported
This editorial synthesises findings from 25 research contributions (18 research articles, 2 reviews, 2 surveys, 2 short communications, 1 methods article) addressing sustainable soil management across five core themes. The special issue reports on experimental findings from ongoing European Joint Programme projects on soil management, climate mitigation, adaptation, and land sustainability.
Topic tags
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