Restoring soil biodiversity

Soil health is crucial for all terrestrial life, supporting, among other processes, food production, water purification and carbon sequestration. Soil biodiversity — the variety of life within soils — is key to these processes and thus key to soil restoration. Human activities that degrade ecosystems threaten soil biodiversity and associated ecosystem processes. Indeed, 75% of the world’s soils are affected by degradation — a figure that could rise to 90% by 2050 if deforestation, overgrazing, urbanisation and other harmful practices persist. Restoring soil biodiversity is a prerequisite for planetary health, and it comes with many challenges and opportunities. Soil directly supports around 60% of all species on Earth, and land degradation poses a major problem for this biodiversity and the ecosystem services that sustain human populations. Indeed, 98% of human calories come from soil, and earthworms alone underpin 6.5% of the world’s grain production. Moreover, the total carbon in terrestrial ecosystems is around 3,170 gigatons (1 gigaton (Gt) = 1 billion metric tons), of which approximately 80% (2,500 Gt) is found in soil. Therefore, restoring soil biodiversity is not just a human need but an ecological and Earth-system imperative. It is pivotal for maintaining ecosystem resilience, sustaining agricultural productivity and mitigating climate change impacts.