BSSS Collaboration & Partnerships Forum Brings Together the UK Soil Science Community at Cranfield on 28th April 2026
By: Dr Khalid Mahmood(BSSS), Dr Dan Evans (Cranfield University)
The British Society of Soil Science (BSSS), in partnership with Cranfield University, proudly hosted the inaugural BSSS Collaboration & Partnerships Forum, welcoming around 75 participants from across academia, research organisations, government, industry, consultancies, environmental NGOs, and BSSS corporate partners.
Held at Cranfield University’s world-leading soil science facilities, the forum created a vibrant and much-needed space for networking, collaboration, and innovation, bringing together the UK soil science community at a critical time for soils, food systems, and environmental sustainability.
Why Soil Matters More Than Ever
Soil is often overlooked, yet it underpins nearly every aspect of life on Earth.
- 95% of global food production depends directly or indirectly on soil
- Soils host over 25% of the world’s biodiversity
- They store more carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined
- UK soils alone store around 10 billion tonnes of carbon — equivalent to ~80 years of UK greenhouse gas emissions
Beyond food production, soils deliver essential ecosystem services that sustain life and economies:
- Regulating water flow and reducing flood risk
- Filtering pollutants and improving water quality
- Cycling nutrients critical for plant growth
- Supporting biodiversity and ecosystem resilience
- Sequestering carbon and mitigating climate change
In economic terms, soil ecosystem services are valued in the trillions globally, reflecting their profound contribution to human well-being and environmental stability.
However, soils are under increasing pressure. Globally, one-third of soils are degraded, and in the UK, intensive agriculture has already led to 40–60% loss of soil organic carbon in arable soils. This has major implications for food security, climate resilience, and ecosystem health.
A Forum Designed for Collaboration
The forum opened with a welcome from the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS), highlighting the Society’s growing role in advancing soil science, strengthening collaboration across sectors, and promoting the importance of healthy soils within national environmental and agricultural priorities.
Reflections from the BSSS Annual Report 2025 demonstrated the continued growth and momentum of the Society, which now represents around 900 members alongside a growing network of corporate partners from academia, industry, government, and the environmental sector. The opening remarks emphasised how collaboration and knowledge exchange are becoming increasingly important as soils gain greater recognition for their role in climate resilience, food security, biodiversity recovery, water regulation, and sustainable land management.
The Society’s leadership in professional development and capacity building was also highlighted, including its expanding programme of specialist training courses, technical events, conferences, and knowledge-sharing initiatives that support both researchers and practitioners across the soil sector.
Particular attention was given to BSSS outreach and education activities, including the Soil Innovation Box programme (previously known as the Soil Loan Box), which helps engage school pupils and young learners through hands-on soil science activities and educational resources. The initiative reflects the Society’s commitment to inspiring future generations and raising wider awareness of the essential role soils play in supporting ecosystems, agriculture, carbon storage, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability.
Recognising both the urgency and opportunity, BSSS designed the Collaboration & Partnerships Forum as a dedicated platform for BSSS corporate partners and stakeholders to connect and collaborate.
The ambition is clear: to make this an annual flagship event, strengthening partnerships across the soil sector and accelerating innovation.
The forum provided participants with opportunities to:
- Build meaningful cross-sector collaborations
- Share expertise and emerging research
- Identify joint projects and funding opportunities
- Align science, policy, and industry priorities
Interactive speed networking sessions, led by Dr Khalid Mahmood, set the tone for the day, creating an open and energetic environment that encouraged dialogue and new connections from the outset.
The 11 collaboration pitches included contributions from BSSS corporate partners and other organisations:
- Rothamsted Research
- Elementar
- James Hutton Institute
- FGP Surveyors Limited
- Southern Water
- British Society of Soil Science
- Arcadis
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Downforce Technologies
- BeZero Carbon
The diversity of topics reflected the broadening role of soil science across sectors. Presentations explored themes including digital soil monitoring, carbon measurement and verification, sustainable land management, environmental policy, ecosystem services, infrastructure resilience, regenerative agriculture, and the growing role of soil data in supporting net zero ambitions and natural capital markets.
Soils Data: Unlocking Opportunities
A central theme of the forum focused on soil data — its opportunities and challenges.
Rapid-fire collaboration pitches from BSSS partners and leading organisations showcased innovation across the sector, including:
- Digital soil monitoring and sensing technologies
- Carbon measurement and verification
- Natural capital and carbon markets
- Environmental policy and land-use planning
- Sustainable and regenerative agriculture
Speakers from organisations such as Rothamsted Research, Defra, Arcadis, Southern Water, Downforce Technologies, and the James Hutton Institute demonstrated the growing importance of data-driven soil science.
A key takeaway from the discussions was the importance of soil data in enabling a more holistic understanding of soils beyond carbon alone. While carbon metrics remain important, robust soil data is essential for assessing the full range of ecosystem services soils provide — including biodiversity support, water regulation, nutrient cycling, food production, climate resilience, and wider environmental sustainability. Innovation Transforming Soil Science
Two keynote showcase presentations highlighted how innovation is reshaping soil science:
Earth Observation, AI and Digital Soil Mapping
Dr Toby Waine explored how remote sensing, AI, and digital mapping are transforming our ability to monitor soils at scale, enabling smarter and more sustainable land management.
Climate-Smart Nitrogen Management
Dr Emily Guest demonstrated how legumes and improved nitrogen strategies can reduce emissions, enhance soil fertility, and build resilient farming systems.
Together, these sessions highlighted a critical shift towards integrated, data-led, climate-smart approaches.
Supporting the Next Generation
Early Career Researchers (ECRs) brought fresh perspectives through a dynamic poster session, showcasing cutting-edge research and innovative approaches.
The session reinforced the importance of investing in the next generation of soil scientists, who will play a key role in addressing future challenges.
LandIS and the Power of Data Integration
The LandIS Soils Data Portal session was led by Dr Dan Evans and Professor Stephen Hallett. The session demonstrated how integrated soil, land use, and environmental data for England and Wales, supported by Defra, are helping to enable:
- Better decision-making for farmers, land managers, and advisers
• Improved environmental monitoring and evidence-based policy development
• Stronger collaboration across research, government, industry, and the wider land management sector
As demand grows for high-quality soil data to support carbon accounting, biodiversity targets, climate resilience, and sustainable land use, platforms such as LandIS will play an increasingly important role in turning national soil evidence into practical insight.
A standout highlight was the guided tour of Cranfield University’s advanced soil science and agritech facilities.
Participants experienced first-hand:
- The Soil Map and Archive, which underpins Cranfield’s national soil data resources
• The glasshouse facilities, including advanced crop and soil sensing technologies
• The Soil Management Facility, supporting controlled studies of soil, crops, water, and machinery
• Applied research infrastructure for soil health, land management, and sustainable agriculture
The visit demonstrated how Cranfield’s data, facilities, and research expertise are helping to address major challenges including climate change, food security, biodiversity, and sustainable land use.
Strong Momentum for BSSS Partners
The forum was specifically designed to deliver value for BSSS corporate partners, and feedback confirmed its success as a powerful networking and collaboration platform.
There was strong enthusiasm to:
- Continue the forum annually
- Expand collaboration between partners
- Strengthen links between research, policy, and industry
Participants recognised the growing importance of BSSS in providing a trusted, neutral platform that brings partners together to drive innovation and impact.
Looking Ahead
The success of the inaugural forum highlights a growing recognition that healthy soils are fundamental to sustainable futures.
With soils underpinning food production, climate regulation, biodiversity, and water systems, the need for collaboration has never been greater.
By bringing together BSSS partners and the wider community, the Collaboration & Partnerships Forum represents a significant step forward in:
- Strengthening partnerships
- Accelerating innovation
- Delivering real-world impact
Final Reflection
Healthy soils are the foundation of life.
Healthy soils are the foundation of life. They feed us, regulate our environment, support biodiversity, and play a critical role in climate resilience. Yet they are fragile, finite, and increasingly under pressure.
Reliable and accessible soil data is fundamental to understanding, protecting, and managing these vital resources effectively. From carbon monitoring and water regulation to biodiversity assessment, land management, and sustainable food production, high-quality soil data underpins evidence-based decision-making across environmental and agricultural systems.
The BSSS Collaboration & Partnerships Forum demonstrated the value of bringing together researchers, industry, policymakers, and practitioners to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and explore collaborative approaches to advancing soil data, innovation, and practical solutions.
BSSS looks forward to welcoming partners back next year as we continue building a strong and connected soil science community dedicated to improving soil knowledge and safeguarding one of our most valuable natural resources for future generations.
