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European and UK Soils in Crisis as Intensive Farming Degrades Vital Ecosystems

New report warns degraded land is fuelling climate extremes and threatening food and water security More than 60% of agricultural soils across the European Union have been severely degraded by decades of intensive farming practices, with about 40% of soils in the UK similarly affected, according to a new report by the Save Soil initiative. The findings highlight a growing ecological emergency with profound implications for the climate, food production and resilience to extreme weather.

Experts warn that the damage to soil health is already exacerbating both floods and droughts — and say the problem is self-reinforcing. Without the structure and organic matter to retain water, degraded soils turn heavy rainfall into runoff, intensifying floods. In dry spells, they lack the resilience to hold moisture, amplifying drought conditions.

"We are losing the natural infrastructure that manages water," a spokesperson for Save Soil said. "Soils should be buffering our weather — instead, they're breaking under pressure."

Farming policies out of sync with nature

The report calls for a rapid overhaul of farming subsidies and policies to reward regenerative agriculture and soil restoration. Advocates say this shift is crucial not only to climate adaptation but to halting biodiversity loss and improving food security.

Yet in the UK, key schemes to support farmers in restoring their land — such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive — have been paused. Treasury spending reviews now cast further doubt on the future of nature-based agricultural support.

"It's essential that soil is given the same protection as air and water," said Hannah Blitzer from the Soil Association. "The government must back farmers who work with nature, not against it."

Warning signs across the continent

In 2022, a third of the EU's population and 40% of its land were hit by water scarcity. Groundwater levels in France have plummeted, and Spain, Germany and Italy have suffered devastating floods. The UK, despite enduring record rainfall last year, is again bracing for drought.

Degraded soils also reduce carbon storage capacity — a critical function for mitigating climate change — and drive up food prices. Shoppers are already seeing the effects, with climate-linked supply shocks pushing up the cost of commodities like coffee and chocolate.

"Let's work with the soil microbiome instead of against it," said Professor Karen Johnson, an environmental engineer at Durham University. "Soil is a living system with over three billion years of evolutionary wisdom — and ignoring it is perilous."

Government under pressure

Responding to the report, a spokesperson for the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the government recognises the importance of soil health and is promoting sustainable land management through agri-environment schemes.

But campaigners argue the rhetoric is not matched by action — and that delaying support for soil-friendly farming risks deepening the crisis.

"This is a tipping point," said the Save Soil initiative. "The longer we wait, the more we undermine our ability to adapt to climate change, feed our communities, and survive the weather extremes already here."