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 protected. This situation is likely to get worse as Cross Compliance is phased out in 2024. While we acknowledge that most farmers want to do the right thing, a new soil protections legislative framework is needed as a backstop to address gaps, enforce the ‘polluter pays’ principle, and establish minimum acceptable standards for those who choose not to engage with the voluntary ELM schemes.