European soil, a critical but frequently overlooked resource, is facing significant degradation that poses risks to the continent’s food security, climate resilience, and economic stability. While the European Union typically concentrates on strategic assets dominated by external producers, such as semiconductors and rare earth minerals, experts emphasize that soil itself is an indispensable foundation for the region, producing 95 percent of the food consumed globally.

Europe’s soils store an estimated 75 billion tonnes of carbon—several times the amount held in its forests—and their porous structure helps mitigate the impacts of extreme weather by buffering droughts and floods. However, the European Commission estimates that between 60 and 70 percent of soils within the EU are currently unhealthy, with degradation resulting in economic losses exceeding €50 billion annually. Given that fertile topsoil develops over centuries, the ongoing erosion and depletion present long-term challenges.

One major obstacle to addressing soil degradation is its invisibility in economic metrics and undervaluation in policy frameworks. Unlike energy supply disruptions caused by external actors, soil deterioration is a gradual, self-inflicted process that lacks immediate economic indicators such as shifts in gross domestic product. This has contributed to insufficient recognition of soil health as a factor in economic resilience.

The EU has enacted measures aimed at improving soil monitoring and management. The Soil Monitoring Law, effective since December 2025, provides a standardized approach to assessing key indicators such as carbon content, erosion rates, biological activity, and water retention capacity. Additionally, a 2024 regulation requires member states to report on ecosystem services, although soil’s role in water retention remains underemphasized. More recently, the European Commission introduced certification standards to enable farmers to receive financial incentives tied to measurable soil outcomes.

Despite these advances, critics point out the absence of a comprehensive strategy that integrates these efforts and rewards verifiable soil improvements. Current policies, including the Common Agricultural Policy, support sustainable farming practices but do not explicitly compensate land managers for demonstrable gains in soil health or water retention.

Proponents argue that the upcoming EU framework on climate resilience and risk management, slated for release later this year, represents an opportunity to address these gaps. Suggested priorities include expanding mandatory ecosystem accounting to encompass services provided by healthy soil, particularly water retention; broadening performance-based incentives beyond carbon sequestration to include soil health metrics; and aligning public funding and investment decisions accordingly.

While some critics caution that these initiatives may strain financial resources, advocates contend that neglecting soil degradation only exacerbates vulnerability to food shortages, price volatility, and climate-induced disasters. Importantly, soil deterioration disproportionately harms lower-income populations, who bear the brunt of rising food costs and environmental shocks.

The issue of land degradation has gained international attention as well. At the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification held in August in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, participants emphasized the need for land restoration and drought resilience funding. However, the conference concluded without establishing a binding global framework to address drought, highlighting a continuing disconnect between scientific urgency and political action.