Healthy soils are the foundation of resilient food systems, sustaining the crops that nourish our communities and future generations. Global initiatives such as World Food Day recognise that protecting our soil is not just an environmental priority — it is an investment in the right to food, the resilience of farmers and the future of global food security.
2026 has seen continued extreme weather conditions and temperatures in amongst a changing climate, and it is important to understand the effect that this has on our soils. Following on from the severe droughts in spring and summer 2025, the UK has experienced three heatwaves in 2026, with a long-term warming trend that has accelerated over recent decades. Britain is entering an era where extreme weather is becoming increasingly common, according to the State of the UK Climate report, after official data confirmed that 2025 was the hottest year ever recorded. These extreme weather conditions are putting huge pressures on our agrifood systems and ultimately, human health.
Drought can be expected to happen more frequently in many regions. Soil water retention can shift depending on how that land has been managed. Agriculture practices, vegetation cover, and soil structure all influence soil’s ability to endure drought periods. In some cases, soil can gradually lose their buffering capacity – making future droughts more impactful. Drought isn’t just a temporary loss of water; it’s a stress test for the entire soil system. How that system responds will play a major role in food security, ecosystem health, and climate change. It has been observed across natural and semi-natural habitats in Europe where soils have been unable to soak up any water, which can intensify drought impacts by preventing rehydration when rain finally arrives. This means our soils are vulnerable when the climate changes.
Flooding alters soil by causing erosion, compaction and nutrient loss, which reduce soil fertility and disrupt ecosystem functioning. Poor soil aeration in flooded soils is accompanied by adverse changes in soil and plant growth. Understanding and managing flood impacts and risks are essential for sustainable farming systems.
It is also the same story across the globe. World soil health is under pressure from several threats including erosion, loss of soil organic carbon and biodiversity, pollution, and salinisation. It is imperative that this is addressed – if our soil is not managed, maintained or used sustainably, we will not be able to produce enough food or get the nutrients that we need.
Technological advancements have become essential in understanding drought and flooding’s dynamics and impacts on agricultural landscapes. This way forward is highlighted in the Food and Agriculture of the United Nations (FAO) World Food Day theme, ‘Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow’. Innovation starts with transforming how food is produced right the way through to ending up in the hands of the consumer. It is essential that we bring together advances in science and technology with the knowledge and experience of farmers as well as policymakers, to build resilient and robust agrifood systems. Not only do we need to nourish the planet but we need to protect and sustain our resources that future generations will depend on.
Soil holds the key to our planet’s past and future and is the answer to our food, water and energy security, mitigating and adapting to climate change, the safeguarding of biodiversity, and the protection of human health. We must focus on maintaining and restoring our soils, finding solutions to meeting environmental targets, achieve climate neutrality, zero pollution, sustainable food provision and a resilient and biodiverse environment.
