The Position paper begins by discussing options on how to further develop EU soil protection law. Compared to the status-quo, strengthening the existing soil protection legislation at EU level would preserve transboundary ecosystem services of soils and also help to effectively implement the ‘land degradation neutrality’ objective. read more
UBA-Paper: The need for soil protection legislation at EU level
Environment and agriculture – Overview for Germany
More than half of Germany's surface area is used for agriculture. Agriculture thus is the largest land user in Germany and a significant contributor to environmental stress. On the other hand, agriculture is also affected, for example, by the effects of climate change. In the flyer "Environment and agriculture 2018" UBA presents key facts about agriculture and environment. read more
Managing glyphosate effects complies with European laws
Assessing and managing the effects of glyphosate on diversity and abundance of non-target species fully complies with European and national laws. Glyphosate is expected to have a particularly strong impact on non-target organisms by disrupting food webs in agricultural areas. read more
Soil organic carbon as a relevant indicator for the SDGs?
Soil organic carbon (SOC) is associated with many critical soil-derived ecosystem services. But what happens if the SOC content is decreasing? A decline in SOC stock may indicate degradation or even loss of land and soil. Therefore, it is currently discussed whether the SOC stock might play an important role in the realisation of the global Sustainable Development Goals. read more
Event to mark the end of the International Year of Soils 2015
An event to mark the end of the International Year of Soils 2015 was hosted in Berlin by the German Environment and Development ministries jointly with the German Environment Agency and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit. Under the heading “Soil – A source of life”, experts and policymakers discussed old and new soil protection tasks and challenges. read more
Ten million hectares of arable land worldwide are 'lost' every year
The International Year of Soils has come to an end, but soil protection is far from reaching its aim. read more
How to assess land and soil degradation on global level?
In September 2015 the United Nations agreed upon the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They contain targets dealing with soil quality, restoration of degraded soil and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world. Yet, what options actually exist to estimate soil and land degradation on global level? This has now been examined by a new report. read more
Soil protection at international level
Whilst global demand for food and renewable raw materials is rising, the very basis for producing these – healthy, fertile soil – is under threat. It is estimated that 1.5 billion people are already affected by the consequences of this development. A coordinated global approach to protecting the vital resource ‘soil’ is therefore urgently necessary. read more