Soil fertility: findings from the report on the state of France’s soils

Soils are a non-renewable natural resource. Their uses and future represent a major collective challenge, both for agricultural and forestry activities and for the preservation of the quality of our environment. After ten years of work, the Scientific Interest Group on Soils, Gis Sol, has produced the first scientifically quantified assessment of the state of soils in mainland France and the overseas territories in a report on the state of France’s soils published in 2011.

This report highlights positive aspects but also raises a number of concerns regarding soil fertility. Agricultural soils show no measurable change in acidity, which indicates effective pH management at national level. However, the report highlights relatively low phosphorus levels in many soils, and conversely, situations of very worrying excesses due to their impact on water quality and the eutrophication of ecosystems. It therefore raises the question of the long-term sustainability of the current agricultural system and that of better utilisation of livestock manure. A considerable number of situations could also be likely to cause trace element deficiencies in demanding crops. Finally, a major concern relates to the increasing rate of land sealing, which has accelerated over the last decade and is causing significant losses of agricultural land.