Soil security: Australia’s future beneath our feet

Soil security: Australia’s future beneath our feet A practical framework for aligning farming, planning and policy with soil capacity, condition and long-term natural capital. Soil underpins food and fibre production, water regulation, carbon storage, biodiversity, and the viability of rural economies. Yet it is still too often treated as a passive backdrop to agriculture and development, rather than an asset that needs active stewardship. Soil security brings soil into the same decision space as water, biodiversity and climate risk. It links soil science to the choices made on farms, in planning systems and across government – so land use and investment are guided by soil limits and opportunities, not just short-term convenience.