Scientists have warned that the world’s tiniest organisms need to be taken into account in efforts to improve soil health.
Applied Microbiology International (AMI) has launched a new policy report, Improving Soil Health in the UK, setting out key recommendations to support the long-term protection, restoration and sustainable management of soils across the UK’s four nations.
The report calls for stronger, more effective communication between all soil stakeholders. By building trust, aligning diverse priorities and co-creating a shared soil health agenda, the report argues that the UK can better safeguard its soils for future generations.
The publication brings together insights from a cross-disciplinary roundtable convened by AMI, building on themes from a previous AMI policy publication on soil health. It reflects the collective perspectives of experts spanning academia, industry, land management, advocacy and funding bodies, and aims to advance dialogue on one of the most pressing environmental challenges facing the UK.
The original publication arose out of an AMI event held at the John Innes Centre in the UK on ’ The Power of Microbes in Sustainable Crop Production ’ where discussions identified potential microbial solutions for soil regeneration and emphasised the benefits of taking a microbiome approach to soil health.
Healthy soils underpin food security, biodiversity, climate resilience and ecosystem services, yet they remain under increasing pressure from environmentally unsustainable land use practices. AMI’s new report addresses this challenge by focusing on three central themes: establishing a shared definition of healthy soil, identifying suitable biological indicators to measure soil health, and supporting the transition towards more sustainable land management practices.
A core recommendation of the report is the urgent need for an agreed, cross-disciplinary definition of healthy soil that can be applied consistently across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. While several internationally recognised definitions already exist, including those developed by the EU Mission Soil and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the report highlights the importance of adopting one overarching definition to ensure coherence, alignment and comparability across sectors and geographies. At the same time, it calls for flexibility and the development of technical sub-definitions to reflect the diversity and dynamic nature of soils in different contexts.
The report also explores how soil health can be measured effectively. It emphasises the potential of biological indicators, particularly those that are scalable, cost-effective and user-friendly. Advances in tools such as environmental DNA (eDNA) and metagenomic technologies are identified as especially promising, enabling a more holistic understanding of soil biodiversity and microbial function. The report recommends a dual approach that considers both microbial diversity and function, recognising the complexity of soil ecosystems.
In addition, Improving Soil Health in the UK discusses the role of microbial solutions in addressing unsustainable soil practices. It stresses that achieving meaningful change will require collaboration across the entire soil community, from farmers and land managers to policymakers, researchers and agri-businesses. Sustained policy, financial and advisory support will be essential to enable practical, profitable and evidence-based transitions to sustainable land use.
An overarching message of the report is the need for stronger, more effective communication between all soil stakeholders. By building trust, aligning diverse priorities and co-creating a shared soil health agenda, the report argues that the UK can better safeguard its soils for future generations.
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Primary author: Daisy Neale, Applied Microbiology International
Primary reviewer: Irene Lavergne, Applied Microbiology International
We would like to thank all who contributed to, and helped review, this report.
Afolake Olanbiwoninu Ajayi, Crowther University, Nigeria
Diane Purchase, Middlesex University, UK
Chika Ejikeugwu, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Germany
Caroline Orr, Teesside University, UK
Jamie Stone, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, UK Research and Innovation (BSRC-UKRI), UK
Christopher Quince, Earlham Institute, UK
Ian Clark, Rothamsted Research, UK
Robert Sparkes, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
Minshad Ansari, Bionema Group
Komang Ralebitso-Senior, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
Uffe Nielson, Western Sydney University, Australia
Roy Neilson, The James Hutton Institute, UK
Tim Mauchline, Rothamsted Research, UK
Susheel Bhanu Busi, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK
Olubukola Oluranti Babalola, North-West University, South Africa
Marcela Hernández, University of East Anglia, UK
Vicky Foster, Earlham Institute, UK
We would like to thank and acknowledge all those who participated in the roundtable that formed the foundation of this report. Representation was given by colleagues affiliated by the following organisations:
(note that some participants hold multiple institutional or professional affiliations):
Ajayi Crowther University, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council UKRI, Bionema Group Limited, Coalition of Action for Soil Health, Corteva Agriscience, Cranfield University, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Imperial College London, Institute of Physics, The James Hutton Institute, John Innes Centre, Liverpool John Moores University, Manchester Metropolitan University, Middlesex University, Natural England, Natural Environment Research Council UKRI, National Farmers Union, National Institute of Agricultural Botany, North-West University South Africa, Ricardo PLC, Rothamsted Research, Save Soils, Sustainable Soils Alliance, Teesside University, Tribhuvan University, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, University of Abuja, University of Bedfordshire, University of East Anglia, University of Nottingham, University of Warwick.