Facts and figures thematic title
Around 17% of arable soils in England and Wales show signs of erosion and 40% (2 million ha) are thought to be at risk
Almost 4 million hectares of agricultural land in England and Wales are at risk of compaction, affecting soil fertility, water resources and increasing flood risk
In the UK, intensive agriculture has caused arable soils to lose 40-60% of their organic carbon
The annual costs of soil degradation in England and Wales are between £0.9 and £1.4 billion, with a central estimate of £1.2 bn. These costs are mainly linked to loss of organic content of soils (47% of total), compaction (39%) and erosion (12%)
The contribution of damaged soils to flooding events is estimated to be £233m/year
Around 300,000 hectares of UK soil are thought to be contaminated with toxic elements – such as cadmium, arsenic and lead
English farmers are losing valuable resources through diffuse pollution. 235,000 tonnes of nitrogen and 8,391 tonnes of phosphorus are lost every year that would otherwise help sustain farming
More than 60% of all living things live in soil
Yet they are being degraded at an unprecedented rate
Around 17% of arable soils in England and Wales show signs of erosion and 40% (2 million ha) are thought to be at risk
Almost 4 million hectares of agricultural land in England and Wales are at risk of compaction, affecting soil fertility, water resources and increasing flood risk
In the UK, intensive agriculture has caused arable soils to lose 40-60% of their organic carbon
The annual costs of soil degradation in England and Wales are between £0.9 and £1.4 billion, with a central estimate of £1.2 bn. These costs are mainly linked to loss of organic content of soils (47% of total), compaction (39%) and erosion (12%)
The contribution of damaged soils to flooding events is estimated to be £233m/year
Around 300,000 hectares of UK soil are thought to be contaminated with toxic elements – such as cadmium, arsenic and lead
English farmers are losing valuable resources through diffuse pollution. 235,000 tonnes of nitrogen and 8,391 tonnes of phosphorus are lost every year that would otherwise help sustain farming
- Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor.
- Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip.
- Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate amet
- Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip.
- Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate amet
- Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor.
- Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip.
- Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate amet
- Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip.
- Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate amet