Soil Health

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 7 Dec 2022 Closed: 23 May 2024 Parliament page
This inquiry is analysing the Government’s role in preventing further soil degradation and restoring soils across England, including through its Environmental Land Management Schemes and Soil Health Action Plan for England, expected in early 2023. To inform this inquiry, the EFRA Committee launched a farmer survey on soil health . … Read more
25 Recommendations
11 Conclusions
1 Report
6 Oral sessions
2 Letters
6 Events
Activity timeline 10 events
21 May
2024
Correspondence
23 Apr
2024
Correspondence
21 Mar
2024
Report published
5 Dec
2023
Report published
18 Jul
2023
Oral evidence
13 Jun
2023
Oral evidence
24 May
2023
Oral evidence
9 May
2023
Oral evidence
3 May
2023
Oral evidence
7 Mar
2023
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 6 sessions
18 Jul 2023
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Oral evidence
Fiona James · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Rt Hon Mark Spencer · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Sion McGeever · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
13 Jun 2023
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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Dr Eleanor Reed · Natural England Professor John Gilliland OBE · Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) Tony Grayling · Environment Agency
24 May 2023
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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Dr Jane Gilbert, Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management Dr Martin Blackwell · Rothamsted Research Helen Browning · Soil Association Jenny Grant · Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) John Williams · ADAS Professor David Spurgeon · UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) Professor Karen Johnson · Durham University
9 May 2023
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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
James Robinson · Nature Friendly Farming Network James Woodward · Sustain Alliance Professor Pippa Chapman · University of Leeds Richard Bramley · National Farmers Union (NFU)
3 May 2023
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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
James Robinson · Nature Friendly Farming Network Mr James Woodward · Sustain Alliance Professor Pippa Chapman · University of Leeds Richard Bramley · National Farmers Union (NFU)
7 Mar 2023
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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Dr Jacqueline Hannam · British Society of Soil Science Martin Ballard · Society for the Environment Mr Graeme Willis · CPRE - The Countryside Charity Mr Kyle Lischak · ClientEarth Mr Matthew Orman · Sustainable Soils Alliance Professor Bridget Emmett · UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First Report - Soil health HC 245 5 Dec 2023 36 Response document linked
Recommendations & Conclusions
36 results
1 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Develop comprehensive soil health indicators and a baseline as quickly as possible.
We are pleased that the Government is developing a set of soil health indicators and a soil health baseline. Data, and a common approach to measuring soil health, is essential for setting targets, tracking progress, evaluating the ELM schemes and … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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2 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Ringfence funding for long-term soil health monitoring and finalise indicators by December 2024.
The Government must ringfence the funding for the soil health monitoring programme to ensure a long-term commitment to this precious national resource. This funding should be on the same scale as funding for the monitoring of other critical assets such … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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3 Conclusion
First Report - Soil health
Make Natural Capital Assessment Programme more ambitious, collecting detailed, granular soil data.
The soil health baseline will not be established until 2028 and determining trends from that data will potentially take longer still. Given the importance of soil health, we feel it is essential to take steps now to use existing soil … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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4 Conclusion
First Report - Soil health
Adapt ELM schemes by 2025 to fund comprehensive, standardised soil testing and data collection.
By 2025, Defra should adapt the Environmental Land Management schemes to fund the testing and assessment of all key physical, chemical and biological soil attributes decided by the soil health indicators project. These schemes should only support tests that are … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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5 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Commission and publish analysis of existing third-party soil health data by 2026.
In order to gain an insight into recent trends, the Government should also, by 2026, commission and publish an analysis of existing soil health data held by third parties This should be used to inform future policy development, including incoming … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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6 Conclusion
First Report - Soil health
Government policy lacks leadership and focus on soil health and its integration.
There is a lack of leadership and focus on soil health in Government policy. The awaited land use framework could certainly help but, given that the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) and the Environment Act targets are already the central focus … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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7 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Publish the National Action Plan for Pesticides and a regularly updated Land Use Framework.
By May 2024, the Government must publish the new National Action Plan for Sustainable Use of Pesticides and its Land Use Framework. The Framework should provide clear guidance and leadership to stakeholders on the most effective uses for types of … Read more
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8 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Develop binding targets for improving soil health and amend the Environment Act by 2028.
Once a soil baseline and health indicators are in place, the Government must work with industry and academia to develop a set of binding and measurable targets for improving soil health in England, based primarily on the agreed soil health … Read more
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9 Conclusion
First Report - Soil health
Incorporate new soil health targets into the EIP and expand ELM scheme participation by 2040.
The 2028 Environmental Improvement Plan should incorporate and develop these new soil health targets and ensure that soil improvement features across all related sectors, particularly construction, planning and agriculture. Goals for biodiversity, waste, food security, land use and net zero … Read more
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10 Conclusion
First Report - Soil health
ELM schemes require attractive payment rates and solutions for capital investment barriers.
The Government’s Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes are an important economic incentive to protect and restore natural assets, such as soils. Until private ecosystem marketplaces are fully regulated and established for a variety of soil health benefits, ELM schemes will … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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11 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Commission and publish a review of financial barriers to sustainable farming by 2025.
By 2025, the Government should commission and publish a review considering what financial barriers, including upfront investment costs, are preventing more sustainable farming systems. Based on these findings, the Government should develop, alongside the industry, measures to combat the problem. … Read more
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12 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Increase SFI and CS payment rates and publish underlying calculation methodologies by 2026.
By 2026, payment rates for the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship schemes should be increased and calculated on the basis of income foregone, costs and an additional uplift for the public goods potentially provided. These payment rates should be … Read more
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13 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Continue monitoring ELM uptake and remove identified barriers for all farmer types.
We are also concerned that significant numbers of farmers may struggle to access ELMs and so be unable to improve their soils. We are concerned about access for non-arable farmers, small-scale farmers, the horticultural sector, those with common land grazing … Read more
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14 Conclusion
First Report - Soil health
Current ELM scheme soil measures lack ambition and essential actions for enhancement.
We are pleased to see soils being targeted specifically as part of the new Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. While these measures are a good start, the measures in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) are basic and lack essential actions … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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15 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Develop ambitious ELM scheme plans for soils by 2026, including a 90% land target.
Using an analysis of recent soil health trends, the Government should set out, by 2026, long-term plans for how ELM schemes will become more ambitious for soils. This should include: a) Putting all basic actions known to improve soils into … Read more
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16 Conclusion
First Report - Soil health
Establish an effective monitoring and evaluation programme for all ELM schemes.
It is disappointing that the Government has not acted on our previous calls for a set of measurable targets and an evaluation programme for the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. The impact of ELM scheme must be monitored more effectively … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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17 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Publish an ELMs evaluation programme and annual report detailing uptake, feedback, and soil health impact.
By the end of 2024, the Government should publish an evaluation programme for ELMs. This should be designed alongside the soil health indicators so that they can consistently measure progress on soil health. It should also use anonymised and aggregated … Read more
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18 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
ELMs and the establishment of private ecosystem marketplaces do not tackle all the fundamental economic...
ELMs and the establishment of private ecosystem marketplaces do not tackle all the fundamental economic drivers of unsustainable soil management within the supply chain. We would like to see the Government set out how it will deal with the poor … Read more
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19 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
By mid-2025, the Government should develop an action plan setting out how it will make...
By mid-2025, the Government should develop an action plan setting out how it will make organic inputs a more economical choice for farmers. This should include measures that boost the availability and diversity of organic inputs to achieve soil health … Read more
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20 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
The next Environmental Improvement Plan, due by 2028, should incorporate this action plan.
The next Environmental Improvement Plan, due by 2028, should incorporate this action plan. It should also set out how the Government will address other drivers in the wider food supply chain that encourage poor soil management. These include a lack … Read more
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21 Conclusion
First Report - Soil health
Current soil regulations contain significant gaps both within and particularly outside of agriculture.
Current soil regulations contain significant gaps both within and particularly outside of agriculture. Historically, regulations have seen soil as a medium and vector for the pollution of other natural assets, so a wide array of soil health aspects are not … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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22 Conclusion
First Report - Soil health
A new soil protections framework will be a major project and rely on data that...
A new soil protections framework will be a major project and rely on data that is not yet available, suitable definition(s) of ‘sustainable soil management’, and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. We also recognise that it is also … Read more
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23 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Using improved soil health and soil management data, as well as its evaluation of the...
Using improved soil health and soil management data, as well as its evaluation of the success of the ELM schemes, the Department should work with industry, academics and regulators on a more robust regulatory baseline for soils. These regulations should … Read more
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24 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
In the agricultural sector, the regulatory baseline should be designed to work in tandem with...
In the agricultural sector, the regulatory baseline should be designed to work in tandem with ELM schemes. Initially it should incorporate most of the soil health actions in the Sustainable Farming Incentive, with all ELM schemes becoming more ambitious on … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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25 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Soil contamination is a well-known yet not well-understood problem.
Soil contamination is a well-known yet not well-understood problem. There has been a longstanding and unacceptable failure to remediate historical soil contamination that acts as a barrier to nature recovery. As for contamination through agricultural inputs, the Government should also … Read more
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26 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Review organic input regulations by 2025 to ensure adequate soil contamination protections.
By the end of 2025, the Government and Environment Agency should review the current regulations for the production, testing and application of organic inputs to make sure that are delivering enough protections against soil contamination. This review should set out … Read more
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27 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Publish a 2026 timeline for Extended Producer Responsibility targeting soil and water pollutants.
The national soil monitoring programme should aim to gain a better understanding of the scale of soil contamination. To spur progress on nature recovery targets, this information should identify problematic areas that local authorities and developers are encouraged to remediate. … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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28 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Set up a 2024 soil remediation taskforce to tackle barriers and fund solutions.
The Government should set up a soil remediation taskforce in 2024 to tackle the barriers to soil remediation. This should consider the role that new technologies Soil health 53 can play with hard-to-remediate soils, as well as the provision of … Read more
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29 Conclusion
First Report - Soil health
Current voluntary soil reuse initiatives may require mandatory regulation for effectiveness.
We are pleased to see that the Government has announced plans to reduce the amount of soil sent to landfill. These reforms are an update to guidance and the trialling of soil storage sites, which stakeholders welcome but it remains … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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30 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Review by 2027 the Soil Reuse scheme and voluntary construction codes for mandatory status.
By 2027, the Government should review progress with the Soil Reuse and Depot scheme and revised construction codes of practice. This should include a consultation with stakeholders on whether these voluntary codes should become mandatory and regulated by an independent … Read more
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31 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Continue supportive compliance monitoring while boosting comprehensive and frequent farm inspections.
The Environment Agency and the Rural Payments Agency should continue to take an initially supportive approach when monitoring compliance, given the low levels of engagement and the fact that most farmers want to do the right thing for their soils. … Read more
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32 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Develop new funding systems for Environment Agency compliance monitoring and site visits.
More monitoring will mean that these agencies need to be fully resourced. In the case of the Environment Agency, where funding for monitoring usually comes via the Environmental Permitting regulations, the Department needs to come up with ways of driving … Read more
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33 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Publish clear, resourced compliance monitoring regime by 2028 for farm visits.
The EA and the RPA should continue with the “supportive” approach to compliance monitoring. By the end of the agricultural transition in 2028, however, Defra and these institutions should publish a clear and transparent regime of comprehensive site visits and … Read more
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34 Conclusion
First Report - Soil health
Gaps in local knowledge and skills impede effective soil health management.
There are gaps in local knowledge and skills when it comes to soil health and soil management across the economy. As environmental outcomes become more embedded in policy through agricultural, planning, construction and other reforms, it is vital that consultants … Read more
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35 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Publish a 2026 review of skills and training for agricultural nature recovery.
By 2026, the Government should publish a review into the skills and training available to support key initiatives for nature recovery across all relevant sectors. This review should analyse the training, guidance and advisory services available in the agricultural sector … Read more
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36 Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Invest in research to develop tailored guidance and decision-making tools for ELM objectives.
The review should also identify where guidance documents for sustainable farming— including sustainable soil management—could be better synthesised and made more specific to particular settings. Working closely with respected organisations such as the AHDB, the Government should invest in research … Read more
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Correspondence 2 letters
21 May 2024 Correspondence from the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries relating to the Committee's Soil Health report, dated 15 May 2024
Parliament page
23 Apr 2024 Correspondence to the Secretary of State regarding the Government's response to the Soil Health Report, dated 17 April 2024
Parliament page