Harnessing agri-food system microbiomes for sustainability and human health

Summary

This consensus or position paper from the World Microbiome Partnership synthesises current evidence on the interconnected microbiomes spanning soil, crops, food processing environments, and the human gut, framing these as a continuum with implications for sustainable food production and human health. It likely draws on a broad, interdisciplinary body of literature to identify research priorities and actionable recommendations for policy and practice. The paper represents an authoritative, cross-sectoral perspective on how managing microbial communities throughout the agri-food system could support both ecological resilience and nutritional or health outcomes.

UK applicability

Although the scope is global, the findings are highly applicable to UK agri-food policy and practice, particularly in the context of the UK's Environmental Land Management schemes, soil health targets, and growing interest in diet–microbiome–health linkages within public health nutrition strategy.

Key measures

Microbiome diversity indices; functional microbial traits; links between agricultural management practices and soil/food/gut microbiome composition; sustainability and human health indicators (inferred)

Outcomes reported

The paper likely reports on the roles of microbiomes across the agri-food continuum — from soil and crop microbiomes through to food processing and the human gut — and identifies leverage points for improving sustainability and human health outcomes. It likely synthesises evidence on how microbiome diversity and function are shaped by farming practices, food production, and dietary patterns.

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