Sustainable Development Goals

Healthy soil is essential to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and as such, assessing soil health and life has an important role to play to support efforts to achieve these goals.

The main SDGs that soil life contributes to are

• Zero Hunger (SDG 2): By stimulating soil life, crop yields and quality will improve. Healthy soil life is therefore the foundation for the production of sufficient, nutritious food.
• Clean water (SDG 6): Healthy soil life helps filter and purify water. This reduces the risk of water pollution and increases the availability of clean (drinking) water.
• Climate action (SDG 13): Healthy soils help mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon. Soil life plays a critical role in ensuring healthy soils to support sequestration.
• Life on land (SDG 15): Healthy soil is essential for supporting biodiversity and protecting natural ecosystems for people, animals and plants.