A new dossier from the Appui aux Politiques Publiques collection has been added to our library of thematic resources. This booklet, which can be downloaded at the end of this article, explains how setting up a soil monitoring and knowledge system can lead to the emergence of solutions for preserving our soils.

As an essential support for human activities, soil is a natural resource that provides numerous functions and ecosystem services. As such, soil is at the heart of crucial global challenges for the planet and our own survival: adapting to climate change, protecting health, preserving biodiversity and ecosystems, and ensuring food security.

However, soil faces many threats including sealing, erosion, contamination, lower organic matter levels, reduced biodiversity, compaction and salinisation.

The European Commission estimates that over 60% of European soils are not in ‘good condition’. While the cost of soil degradation is estimated at nearly €50 billion per year, the cost of inaction against soil degradation is estimated at 6 times the cost of action, including prevention and restoration. Sustainable soil management is a clear objective of the European Commission, which is preparing a draft directive on soil monitoring and soil health.

A large international scientific community is devoted to soil, and World Soil Day on 5 December has even been introduced under the aegis of the UN since 2014. The most recent French event was held in the Normandy region in 2024 on the theme of soil data and information.

In France, the work carried out since the 1990s and the creation of the Groupement d’Intérêt Scientifique Sol (GIS Sol) have enabled a national soil information system to be set up, based on soil inventory and monitoring, thus anticipating the European framework.

This dossier traces the development of the national system and presents the public policies that have benefited from the data it has produced. The dossier also addresses the challenges of soil science research at European level.