Why Soil Security Is Essential in a Time of Rapid Change

What We Think Is Safe, Might Not Be.

We regularly test our food, monitor our air, and filter our water – but who is watching over the safety of our soil? Soil is often considered a passive background to human life – dependable, resilient, and always there. But that assumption is increasingly dangerous. Under the pressure of climate change, industrialisation, and population growth, our soil is being degraded, contaminated, sealed, and exhausted.

The question is not whether soil degradation matters. It is whether we are measuring its progress fast enough to act. And that brings us to a crucial concept: soil security.

Soil security offers us a way to understand and respond to this crisis. It goes beyond simple notions of soil health or fertility. Instead, it asks a bigger question: Can our soil continue to perform the functions we depend on – now and into the future?

From food production and water storage to biodiversity support and carbon regulation, soil plays a vital role in sustaining life. Soil security is about making sure that role remains strong and stable, even in a changing world.

Soil Monitoring: The First Line of Defense

Unlike wildfires or floods, soil degradation is subtle. It can take years to become visible – and by then, it may be too late.

This is how desertification begins.

Just as we monitor human health to catch problems early, we need to monitor soil to avoid reaching that tipping point. We cannot protect what we do not measure. Soil can vary significantly over short distances due to differences in geology, land use, climate, and human activity. That is why localised, long-term data collection is essential. We need to track properties of soil such as:

Soil carbon – a key indicator of fertility and carbon storage

Soil pH – which affects nutrient availability and microbial activity

Bulk density and porosity – indicators of compaction and root penetration

Soil biodiversity – a reflection of the living ecosystem underground

Erosion rates – a sign of land mismanagement and climate vulnerability

However, soil monitoring infrastructure is uneven across the globe. Some countries or continents may have advanced programs, but many developing nations lack the funding, training, and tools needed to monitor soil security effectively.

To address this, international collaborations and new technologies are stepping in. Remote sensing, citizen science, AI-powered diagnostics, and low-cost field sensors are revolutionising how we collect and interpret soil data.

How Fast Is Soil Changing?

Too fast – and in the wrong direction.

According to the United Nations, up to 90% of the world’s soil could be degraded by 2050 if current trends continue. Already, an estimated 24 billion tons of fertile soil are lost every year to erosion.

In the Amazon, deforestation and industrial agriculture are turning a once-rich tropical soil into exhausted, low-carbon remnants. In the Sahel, overgrazing and climate variability have caused widespread desertification. Even in Europe, excessive pesticide use, monocultures, and land sealing have led to compaction, acidification, and reduced biodiversity.

Soil is also being polluted. Heavy metals, microplastics, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen from fertilisers are accumulating in the soil around industrial zones and agricultural areas. These pollutants can remain in the soil for decades, threatening food safety and ecosystem health.

A New Approach: Measuring Change at the Right Scale

To address soil degradation globally, we need scalable, adaptable ways to measure and interpret soil change.

At Aroura, we have developed a framework that uses natural reference of the soil – those minimally affected by human activity – as benchmarks. By comparing these with soils altered by farming, construction, or pollution, we can measure how far a soil has shifted from its original state.

This approach works across biomes, countries, and land uses. It is cost-effective, scientifically rigorous, and locally relevant. More importantly, it helps answer critical questions:

Are we degrading or restoring? Are our interventions working? What trajectory are we on?

This is not just about data. It is about giving stakeholders – from policymakers to farmers – the tools to make informed decisions, prioritise interventions, and manage risk.

Examples of Soil Security in Action

In Brazil, no-tillage farming and cover cropping have helped restore degraded soils while boosting yields and carbon sequestration.

In Kenya, agroforestry and composting are reversing erosion and improving food security.

In France, farmers participating in the “4 per 1000” initiative are increasing soil organic carbon to fight climate change. These are just a few examples.

Across the world, the soil security movement is growing – driven by science, supported by communities, and with policy beginning to take shape as the next crucial step.

But it needs to move faster. We need to move faster.