Abstract
The globally increasing demand for food, fiber, and bio-based products interferes with the ability of arable soils to perform their multiple functions and support sustainable development. Sustainable soil management under high production conditions means that soil functions contribute to ecosystem services and biodiversity, natural and economic resources are utilized efficiently, farming remains profitable, and production conditions adhere to ethical and health standards. Research in support of sustainable soil management requires an interdisciplinary approach to three interconnected challenges: (i) understanding the impacts of soil management on soil processes and soil functions; (ii) assessing the sustainability impacts of soil management, taking into account the heterogeneity of geophysical and socioeconomic conditions; and (iii) having a systemic understanding of the driving forces and constraints of farmers’ decision-making on soil management and how governance instruments may, interacting with other driving forces, steer sustainable soil management. The intention of this special issue is to take stock of an emerging interdisciplinary research field addressing the three challenges of sustainable soil management in various geographic settings. In this editorial, we summarize the contributions to the special issue and place them in the context of the state of the art. We conclude with an outline of future research needs.
Highlights
Soils are at the nexus of multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [1]
17 SDGs, a fundamental role of soils exists for at least four of them: arable soils account for the largest part of global food provision (SDG 2); soils are the basis for bio-based renewable energy production to ensure energy security (SDG 7); the storage capacity of soils for organic carbon is paramount for climate change mitigation (SDG 13); and the capacity for water purification and retention, nutrient and matter cycling, and the habitat function of soils are essential for maintaining the terrestrial environment and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Sustainable soil management of arable land means that biomass production for food, feed, and fiber can be integrated with soil functions to provide ecosystem services and contribute to sustainable development goals
Summary
Soils are at the nexus of multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [1]. With the globally increasing demand for biomass-based food, feed, energy, and fiber, not least reinforced through renewable energy policies or bioeconomy strategies, the quest for sustainable intensification practices is expressed, which aims at integrating the highest productivity with the maintenance of a broad range of soil functions [12,13] This integration requires the stimulation of ecological interactions at the soil–plant interface, thereby improving the efficiency of natural resource use [14]. The idea is to shed light on the emergence of an interdisciplinary research community dealing with the sustainable management of soils The motivation for this project stems from the German interdisciplinary research program “Soil as a Sustainable Resource for the Bioeconomy—BonaRes” (www.bonares.de), which was established to develop a scientific evidence base for agricultural soil management that maintains soil functions while increasing agricultural production in support of the implementation of the German bioeconomy strategy. The papers are outlined and placed in the context of the three research challenges described
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