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 16 events
21 May
2024
Correspondence
23 Apr
2024
Correspondence
21 Mar
2024
Report published
5 Dec
2023
Report published
18 Jul
2023
Oral evidence
18 Jul
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
13 Jun
2023
Oral evidence
13 Jun
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 5, Palace of Westminster
24 May
2023
Oral evidence
24 May
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
9 May
2023
Oral evidence
9 May
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
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 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
6 results
Clear
15 Recommendation Accepted in Part
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
Government Response
The government states the SFI already incorporates many soil actions and will consider adding more, while exploring ways to adapt CS. They recognize the value of defining "sustainable soil management" and aim to do so with stakeholder engagement. However, they aim for 60% of agricultural soil under sustainable management by 2030, a lower target than the recommended 90% by 2040.
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18 Recommendation Accepted in Part
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
Government Response
The government details existing grants, a new £25 million Nutrient Management Theme, and plans a consultation on fertiliser regulations to boost the supply and access of diverse organic inputs. However, the response does not specifically set out how it will deal with poor profitability in the sector, ensure assurance standards support sustainable soil management, or consider measures to help consumers make more sustainable choices.
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19 Recommendation Accepted in Part
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
Government Response
The government details existing grants, like the £200m Slurry Infrastructure Grant, and a new £25 million Nutrient Management Theme launching in spring 2024, to support novel fertilisers and organic input development. They will also consult on fertiliser regulations. However, the response does not commit to developing a comprehensive action plan by mid-2025 to make organic inputs a more economical choice for farmers, as recommended.
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27 Recommendation Accepted in Part
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
Government Response
The government is developing a £78m Land Remediation Pathfinder Scheme to support local authorities in remediating contaminated land. While the national soil monitoring program is collecting data on some inorganic contaminants, it is not currently collecting data on organic contaminants like pesticides and microplastics, and the response does not address the recommendation for Extended Producer Responsibility or its timeline.
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31 Recommendation Accepted in Part
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
Government Response
The government agrees with advice-led approaches and states enforcement occurs when advice is not acted upon. It highlights the use of earth observation technology for more efficient inspections and targeted advice, building on a successful pilot, but does not explicitly commit to boosting the overall frequency and comprehensiveness of site visits.
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36 Recommendation Accepted in Part
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
Government Response
The government details its ongoing efforts to refine and improve accessibility and specificity of guidance through user testing, supplementary products, and online tools. However, it does not commit to investing in research for decision-making tools or subsidising collaborations and knowledge exchange as also recommended.
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Government Response AI assessment · 36 of 25 classified
Accepted 13
Accepted in Part 6
Acknowledged 3
Deferred 12
Not Addressed 2
Total 25 recs + 11 conclusions
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