1s6b: Sustainability rooted in soil science

Abstract

Soils are an indispensable resource. They are critical for maintaining the health and productivity of ecosystems, and ultimately for sustaining the development of global societies and world economies. Since the founding of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, there has been growing recognition about the importance of soils for driving development. Over the past decade, game-changing progress and innovation across the sciences – not least, in soil science – have better enabled us to confront growing environmental, societal, and economic challenges. Six years since the founding of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and less than ten years before we review their achievement, now is a critical point to determine where we are, and what we need to do in this next decade.