Save our soil

Soil is the heart and soul of our planet. We can't live without it.

It feeds us, captures carbon and it is home to billions of living organisms. It purifies our water and helps against flooding and drought.

Yet, our soil is in crisis. Make a donation today to save our soil.

What is soil and why does it need saving?

Soil is a combination of minerals, organic matter, air, water and living organisms.  It connects people, plants and animals. For a sustainable planet, we need healthy soil.

Test your soil knowledge with our top 10 soil facts.

Soil combats climate change

Did you know that there are 10 billion tonnes of carbon stored in UK soil?

Healthy well managed soil captures carbon dioxide and stores it as soil organic carbon.

This makes it an essential resource in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.

Soil feeds us

95 percent of the food that we eat comes from soil. Without lots of healthy soil, it would be impossible for farmers to produce food for us.

Around the world, we are losing soil faster than it’s being formed. Feeding the world relies on healthy soil.  

Soil prevents droughts and floods

Healthy soil stores, absorbs and filters water. This makes it a vital resource for protecting against flooding and droughts.

Did you know, a single hectare of soil has the potential to store and filter enough water for 1000 people for a year?

How can we farm in a way that saves our soil?

Intensive farming practices are degrading/destroying our soil at an alarming rate. But there’s hope. Nature-friendly organic farming can improve and regenerate the health of our soil. These are some of the ways that the Soil Association is helping to save our soil.

We work with farmers and encourage best practice

With farmers, we trial nature-friendly farming techniques to improve the health of our soil.

We lobby the government

We make sure the Government treats soil as a vital environmental resource that we need to protect.

We raise awareness

We help people understand why healthy soil is important and can resolve the climate, nature and health crises. 

How you can save your soil at home

Read our Saving Our Soils report

Donate to support us in our work to save our soil