Soil health: research, practice and policy for a more regenerative agriculture

Abstract

Drawing on academic literature and personal experience, the authors highlight trends emerging from sustainable agriculture efforts in developing countries, involving research institutions, action agencies, and communities, to provide recommendations for advancing a soil health movement. They argue that multi-disciplinary and -institutional efforts on soil health that link research, practice, and political action will be needed for improved agriculture and more promising futures. During this century soil research has concentrated on soil chemical and physical factors, with comparative neglect of biological factors. Consequently, there is relatively limited understanding of how best to capitalize on the dynamics and potentials of soil biology so as to enhance the regenerative capacity of soil systems for agriculture. More agronomic research and empirical experience for biologically-based agriculture are called for. Although better understanding and practices can serve immediate on-farm needs, they alone would unlikely achieve the desirable changes in farming systems. Policies and institutional arrangements profoundly influence agricultural research and practice, so effective soil health initiatives must also engage broader social and political considerations. In particular, the author’s argue for greater balance in research and teaching to emphasize biology and ecology, enhanced linkages between research and extension, new inter-institutional partnerships and collaboration, and increased stakeholder involvement in policy formulation and implementation.