Soil as natural capital
Position Paper | Year 2021
Soil as natural capital
KVAB Thinkers' Report 2020
Class of Technical Sciences
Healthy soils are a natural capital, essential for the production of food
and the conservation of biodiversity, and therefore also for our
well-being. In 2020 the Academy organised a Thinkers’ Programme addressing
the challenges and opportunities for preserving the natural soil capital
of Flanders. Two international experts followed the talks and discussions
held by various actors in Flanders and reported their findings in this
work. Those two experts are Richard Bardgett, a British soil ecologist,
and Joke van Wensem, advisor for the Environment Ministry in the
Netherlands. Together they have shown that there has been a considerable
loss of natural soil capital in Flanders. This has occurred because of
intensive farming, soil sealing (paving) by buildings and infrastructure,
climate change and pollution. In Flanders there is no integrated action to
monitor and report on soil health. This work contains a wealth of
information about Flemish soils and ends with some practical
recommendations for government and for anyone involved in the conservation
of this natural capital – which, ultimately, means all of us.
Available documents
Author
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Richard Bardgett
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Joke van Wensem
Author
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Joke van Wensem
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Richard Bardgett