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Natural Resources - Theme 5

E7: Healthy soils

In development In development

Short description

Healthy soils underpin the multiple functions of soils in food production, supporting wildlife, regulating water and regulating climate. More work is being done to define exactly what the indicator will include but it could include physical properties (such as a measure of soil structure), chemical properties (such as soil carbon, nutrients and pH), bare ground / soil and a measure of soil biological activity. This indicator is not limited to agricultural soils. Further development of statistically and scientifically robust national monitoring programmes may be needed to provide data for this indicator.

This indicator is not available for reporting in 2021 as significant further development work is required. Some data on aspects of soil health are already published but they do not provide a full baseline.

This table provides metadata for the interim or final indicator presented above.

Indicator name

Healthy soils
Indicator reference

E7
Outcome Indicator Framework theme

Natural Resources
Headline indicator status

Production and harvesting of natural resources
Relevant goal(s) in the 25 Year Environment Plan
  • Using resources from nature more sustainably and efficiently
Relevant target(s) in the 25 Year Environment Plan
  • Improving our approach to soil management: by 2030 we want all of England’s soils to be managed sustainably, and we will use natural capital thinking to develop appropriate soil metrics and management approaches
Position in the natural capital framework
  • Condition of assets - land
Related reporting commitments
  • May provide evidence in support of Climate Change Risk Assessment under the Climate Change Act (2008)
Geographic scope

England
Status of indicator development

In development
Date last updated

11 June 2021