Evidence session for inquiry into Soil Health
Session to be held at 2.30pm on Tuesday, 7 March 2023 in Committee Room 6
Attend in person or watch on Parliamentlive.tv
MPs are looking in detail into the health of soil - an essential element of life.
The Soil Health inquiry, conducted by Parliament's cross-party Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, is holding its first public evidence session, with witnesses from the academic and environmental sectors.
Soil contains the organic and non-organic materials in which plants grow. But its quality can diminish, often because of human activity. Degradation of the quality of soil can have implications for some of its many properties that are valuable for biodiversity. Degradation can also affect agricultural productivity and soil’s ability to retain water, carbon or nutrients.
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith & The Border and Member of the EFRA Committee said:
“Following our successful scientific fact-finding visit to Rothamsted Research in Hertfordshire as part of our new EFRA Inquiry on Soil Health, our Committee will now be taking its first oral evidence on the subject in Parliament. Soil health is so vital for food production and security and for a healthy environment. This is a crucial Inquiry on soil and the environment which will allow us to make key recommendations to Government as to how best to protect and nurture this vital life-giving natural asset and how best to incorporate this into the new Environmental Land Management funding schemes.”
Areas of questioning at the session could include:
· the current state of the over 700 types of soil in the UK
· what we know about soil health trends
· the current regulation of soils
· the government’s strategy and targets for improving soil health
Witnesses:
Panel 1, from 2:30pm:
· Martin Ballard, Group Head of Environment at the Society for the Environment – a body representing professionals in the environment sector
· Professor Bridget Emmett, Science Area Head for Soils and Land Use, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology – a scientific body that provides data and insights for “a productive, resilient and healthy environment”.
· Dr Jacqueline [Jack] Hannam, Senior lecturer in Pedology [a soil science sub-discipline], Cranfield University, and President of the British Society of Soil Health
Panel 2, from c. 3:30pm:
· Kyle Lischak, Head of UK, ClientEarth – a charity working on the legal aspects of environmental issues
· Matthew Orman, Executive Director, Sustainable Soils Alliance – an organisation “championing the urgent restoration of Britain’s deteriorating soil”
· Graeme Willis, Agricultural Lead, CPRE – a charity campaigning on countryside issues
