Tech Tuesday: Soil Health vs Soil Security

Inspired by the research of Dr. Alex McBratney, it’s time we look deeper into how we define the ground beneath our feet. While ‘Soil Health’ has become a buzzword in recent years, Soil Security could offer a much wider lens, one that moves beyond the field and into the realms of policy, economics, and global stability.

We often define Soil Health by its immediate biophysical services: how fertile it is for crops, how well it filters water, or its capacity for flood protection. It is an ongoing, complex discussion.

But can we look at soil as a global asset? That’s where Soil Security comes in. It is traditionally broken down into the “5 Cs,” which are split into two halves: the biophysical and the socioeconomic. Soil security is: “concerned with the maintenance and improvement of the global soil resource to produce food, fibre and fresh water, contribute to energy and climate sustainability, and to maintain the biodiversity and the overall protection of the ecosystem” McBratney et al, 2014.

The 5 Cs of Soil Security

1. Capability (The Potential)

Capability provides the reference state of the soil and some context to its functionality. It sets the baseline for what a specific soil can do.

Example: A thin, rocky alpine soil isn’t ‘unhealthy’ just because it can’t grow a field of corn; it is simply behaving exactly as it should according to its Capability. We must align our expectations with the soil’s natural potential.

2. Condition (The Reality)

Once we know the reference state, we look at the Condition. Is the soil currently degraded or improved compared to its baseline? By monitoring biophysical indicators, we can see if human management is helping or hurting its core functionalities.

3. Capital (The Value)

By assigning Capital, a monetary value, to soil, we can compare it to other assets and ensure it is protected. This value can be determined by its ‘ecosystem services’, such as carbon stocks, water purification, and organic matter.

4. Connectivity (The People)

Soil is only as secure as the people managing it. Connectivity focuses on the social dimension: Does the land manager have the knowledge, resources, and community support to treat the soil right? This involves education, rural engagement, and a shift toward responsible consumption.

5. Codification (The Law)

The final piece of the puzzle is Codification. This is the integration of soil security into public policy. If soil health isn’t written into our laws and international agreements, it remains vulnerable to exploitation.

The Path Forward

We are still answering the big questions: Which specific functionalities should be prioritised? How do we standardise these categories globally? However, moving toward Soil Security is a move toward a truly holistic understanding of our planet. It’s no longer just about the field; it’s about the security of our collective future.