Securing soil health as the foundation for strengthening planetary health

Soil health underpins ecosystem services like food security and therefore underpins human health. Poor soil health is a global problem which is hindering attempts to deliver the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. We focus on goals 3 (human health), 13 (climate change) which are intimately linked to goal 15 (soil health). Soil health is arguably most fragile in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where aged soils are characterised by poor nutrient and water holding capacity, and are largely deficient in micronutrients such as Zinc. Poor soil health coupled with the largely cereal-based diets can mean that micronutrient malnutrition is high in the region. In sub-Saharan Africa, where much of the population is too poor to purchase mineral supplements, poor soil health (SDG15) can therefore negatively impact on human health (SDG3). We surveyed 3661 school children aged 13–15 in three African countries, Ghana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, for their ‘Attitudes, Behaviours and Competencies’ of soil, which we termed ‘ABC’. The ‘ABC’ survey results showed significant soil illiteracy. The survey showed that although students were generally equipped with a good attitude to (overall 52% positive) and behaviour towards soil (overall 60% engagement), they had little competency as to how to improve soil health (overall 23% knowledge). For example, less than 35% of respondents across all countries know that soil is living. Less than 13% of students are aware of the important role of soil in climate change mitigation. We believe that these two knowledge gaps must be addressed for Generation Z to understand the important linkages between climate change, soil and human health. We propose a hands-on ‘ethics of care’ approach to engage society with soil, piggybacking on existing climate change educational resources by building terrariums with living soil can empower children to learn about soil, plant, human and planetary health. The future of food security depends on Generation Z having soil literacy. Our survey clearly shows that students who think farming is a good way to make money have significantly higher levels of overall soil literacy. We propose that the future of human health depends on soil literacy.

Soil provides multiple, diverse functions, with these underpinning both planetary and human health. For planetary health, soil contributes to multiple critical processes, including through biomass production, by regulating the carbon pool, providing a habitat for 25% of global biodiversity, cycling the nutrients upon which terrestrial systems depend, and cycling water. Soil also underpins human health; humans use soil to provide 98.8% of our food and sustain our nutrition, regulate pathogens, and supply medicines. However, humans have tended to focus on soil almost solely for producing biomass (food, fiber, and energy) through intensive agriculture, and this narrow focus now causes rapid soil degradation, including through loss of soil organic matter, erosion, and salinization. This degradation directly harms planetary health and reduces the ability of soil to support health of future human generations. We argue that a healthy soil is a soil that is multifunctional and is capable of underpinning human and planetary health. Using this definition, a broad conceptual framework is provided for quantifying soil health, with such an approach enabling a shift in the way that we think about, plan, and manage systems to ensure ongoing planetary and human health.

Soil health: A common focus for one health and planetary health interventions

The climate crisis necessitates urgent and multifaceted strategies for mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While energy transition dominates discourse, the terrestrial biosphere, and agricultural soils in particular, represent a critical and underutilised sink for atmospheric carbon. The study aims to explore how integrating soil health practices into climate and carbon market frameworks can enhance food system resilience while ensuring verified carbon sequestration. This policy paper argues for the systematic integration of soil health principles into national climate policies and international carbon market frameworks. We detail the scientific rationale behind soil carbon sequestration, highlighting its co-benefits for agricultural resilience, water security, and biodiversity. The paper examines the current challenges within voluntary carbon markets (VCMs), including issues related to measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV), permanence, leakage, and additionality. We present a suite of policy recommendations aimed at governments, standard-setting bodies, and private market participants to overcome these barriers. By adopting a "soil-health-first" approach that values ecosystem services beyond carbon, we can unlock a powerful, natural climate solution that supports both planetary health and agricultural livelihoods. Data from key studies accentuate the significant potential, estimating global soil carbon sequestration capacity at 2-5 Gt CO₂e per year. Soil health is not a silver bullet for the climate crisis, but it is a foundational element of any successful strategy to achieve a net-zero future. By adopting the recommendations outlined in this paper, stakeholders can unlock the immense potential of the earth beneath our feet to help stabilise the atmosphere above it. The time to invest in soil health is now.

Mining is a vital part of the global economy, but unmanaged releases of mine wastes can affect the health of humans, ecosystems, water, soil and Earth surface environments (e.g., rivers and estuaries). New technological developments and multidisciplinary collaborations are leading to new insights into the relationship between mining and the health of the Earth. In recognition of the importance of this topic, GeoHealth is leading in the creation of a special collection of papers on the theme of Mining and Planetary Health, to summarize the current state of knowledge, outline topics for urgent action and further research, and highlight positive efforts in environmental and health protection. Submissions are invited from researchers investigating the impacts of mining at the intersection of the Earth and environmental sciences and human, ecosystem, and planetary health.

An optimal diet for planet and people

Integrated strategies for enhancing agrifood productivity, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and improving soil health

This is a report on an inaugural medical student elective, Microbiomes Matter: The Path to Regenerative Systems of Farm, Food, and Health, from the perspective of the student participants. Recognizing food as medicine is gaining support across many settings. However, little is known about how medical schools engage in this holistic approach. Integrating food systems and the connections to soil and human health through microbiomes into medical education represents a transformative shift towards more holistic healthcare practices. We describe the course content and impact of a medical school elective in food systems. This elective employed a systems lens and planetary health perspective to explore the impact of climatic factors and environmental degradation on farms, nutrition, and non-communicable lifestyle diseases. Through the two-week course, medical students gained insights into sustainable food systems, supply chains, and the importance of regenerative agriculture. The course also provided a comprehensive overview of the gut microbiome, nutrition, technologies, and the economics of food systems, including their impact on lifestyle diseases. By fostering a systems-oriented mindset, this elective better equips medical students to address the complex challenges of human and planetary health and promote regenerative, sustainable, culturally sensitive, and robust systems of farm, food, and health.

Climate and Environmental Health: Education for Rural Communities

Food for thought: Making the case for food produced via regenerative agriculture in the battle against non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs)

The European Green Deal with its high ambition has set the European Union (EU) on a promising path towards greater soil protection. The EU Soil Strategy 2030, the Biodiversity Strategy 2030, the Farm to Fork Strategy, the Zero Pollution, the Nature Restoration Law and the European Climate Law, among others, include actions to protect our soils. Research and Innovation (R&I) will play a key role in developing new knowledge and tools enabling the transition to healthy soils. The main aim of this paper is to analyse past and near‐future trends in EU's funding for R&I on soil‐related issues. For this purpose, a review of EU‐funded soil projects was conducted based on the data available in the Community Research and Development Information Service and the official portal for European data. Our analysis shows that over the past 40 years, the EU has invested significantly in developing integrated knowledge about the relationships between soil functions and ecosystem services and how human‐induced pressures affect soil health. Following the adoption of the EU Soil Thematic Strategy in 2006, there was an increase in research funding for soil‐related research. Furthermore, our analysis also illustrates an interesting interplay of permanent and changing soil themes. The Horizon Europe Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, which aims to establish a network of 100 living labs and lighthouses to lead the transition towards healthy soils and safeguard human and planetary health by 2030, provides a further incentive for soil research. Together with the EU Soil Strategy 2030 and the new proposal for a Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience (Soil Monitoring Law), and the EU Soil Observatory (EUSO), the three instruments set up the political framework, concrete measures, and a monitoring system needed for the protection, restoration and sustainable use of soils.

Achieving dietary micronutrient adequacy in a finite world

Sustainable Anesthesia

Globally increasing wildfires and widespread applications of biochar have led to a growing amount of black carbon (BC) entering terrestrial ecosystems. The significance of BC in carbon sequestration, environmental remediation, and the agricultural industry has long been recognized. However, the formation, features, and environmental functions of nanosized BC, which is one of the most active fractions in the BC continuum during global climate change, are poorly understood. This review highlights the formation, surface reactivity (sorption, redox, and heteroaggregation), biotic, and abiotic transformations of nano-BC, and its major differences compared to other fractions of BC and engineered carbon nanomaterials. Potential applications of nano-BC including suspending agent, soil amendment, and nanofertilizer are elucidated based on its unique properties and functions. Future studies are suggested to develop more reliable detection techniques to provide multidimensional information on nano-BC in environmental samples, explore the critical role of nano-BC in promoting soil and planetary health from a one health perspective, and extend the multifield applications of nano-BC with a lower environmental footprint but higher efficiency.

Regenerative agriculture aims to produce food while simultaneously improving soil health, supporting biodiversity, reducing input costs and enhancing climate resilience. Evidence on its environmental and socio-economic impacts across different systems and climates remains limited, with few studies measuring multiple outcomes following whole farming system transition. To be impactful, regenerative agriculture research must address farmers' knowledge needs and provide practically feasible, economically viable solutions. This can be achieved through action-based research, co-designed with farmer stakeholders in real-world settings. Such research is time-consuming and involves potential risk for farmers adopting new practice combinations. Here, we describe two UK research projects gathering evidence on regenerative agriculture in partnership with farmers, at different scales. One is a replicated large-plot trial that stacks regenerative principles, the other a farmer-led quasi-experiment, following the transition in active farm businesses and using a flexible scoring system based on regenerative principles. We highlight benefits, challenges and future research directions emerging from these projects, including: challenges defining regenerative agriculture; co-design and maximizing knowledge exchange; generalizing results beyond study sites, when practices and outcomes are context-dependent; the need for interdisciplinarity; and generating evidence on long-term transitions with time lags between system change and outcomes, in an environment of short-term funding.This article is part of the theme issue 'Transforming terrestrial food systems for human and planetary health'.