Umweltbundesamt
Soil protection is an environmental protection task involving overlapping activities, whose scientific aspects involve specialists from numerous disciplines who address soil protection issues. In view of the multifarious environmental consequences of farming, the UBA has strengthened its competencies in this regard via two commissions and an advisory board.
In the interest of (a) shedding light on the positive and negative aspects of the interplay between farming and environmental protection; and (b) identifying potential and recommending actions in this domain, on 15 October 2010 the UBA established the Kommission Landwirtschaft beim Umweltbundesamt (Agricultural Expert Panel, KLU) comprising nine experts who advise the UBA by providing it with recommendations concerning more ecofriendly farming.
Soil protection plays a central role when it comes to sustainable environmental policy; for soil status affects not only our food and animal-feed supply, but also water, air and the climate. In the interest of promoting soil protection, heightening its environmental policy importance and raising consciousness on this issue, in 2004 the UBA established the soil conservation expert panel.
The Fachbeirat Bodenuntersuchungen (soil investigation advisory council) compiles advanced soil investigation procedures and methods. Its three working groups respectively focus their efforts on soil samples, soil substance quantification, and soil investigation quality assurance.
The UBA’s motto, For our environment (“Für Mensch und Umwelt”), sums up our mission pretty well, we feel. In this video we give an insight into our work.
