Business and Soil: opportunities and challenges

Fundamentally, soil underpins the value of the natural assets upon which businesses depends. Soil quality has direct implications on the quantity and quality of raw material yields and it supports key functions that supply resources and commodities in the growing phase of the value chain.

Since 1960, one-third of the world’s arable land has been eroded and degraded, and the rate continues at about ten million hectares per year. Apart from the goal of securing supply chains, sustainable soil management is important for regulatory, reputational and market reasons. Demonstrating good soil practice, through appropriate management, can be essential to gaining access to land and resources as well as proving responsible performance to government, investors and other stakeholders. Generating greater yields per unit of land at a higher profit by lowering unit production costs will only be possible by building and maintaining soil fertility and providing balanced nutrition to crops.

One-pager: Business and Soil: opportunities and challenges

Read Jon Green’s blog on the importance of academia and business recognising the value of healthy soils.

Business and soil: the relationships
Business agricultural activities impact upon soil…	Business activities are vulnerable as they rely upon soil…	External forces are putting pressure on soil resources…
What are the soil-related challenges for business?
Businesses assert little control over on-the-ground soil related activities	There is a lack of science regarding specific commodities and locations	Natural events and climate change impacts are accelerating soil degradation
What are the soil-related opportunities for business?
Ingredion: farming the land through capacity building	Nestlé: ensuring the right fertiliser is applied to cocoa soils	Olam International: maintaining profitable yields despite water constraints
What do business sustainability leaders say?
On soil quality	On land management