Increased population pressure, industrialisation and intensive land use are causing depletion of natural resources and are limiting the performance of land with respect to its functions such as biomass production, carbon sequestration, water purification, etcetera. The additive effects of climate change and the abovementioned aspects of global change influence the capacity of soils to sustain functions to provide planetary services and human wellbeing. Soil (pedosphere) forms the interface between the air (atmosphere) and the earth (lithosphere) and interacts with surface and groundwater (hydrosphere) and living organisms (biosphere). It is thus a vital component of ecosystems and needs to be safeguarded. The future capacity of soils to exert their functions in relation to planetary services and human wellbeing is at stake, and this is a top priority of national and international organisations and governmental bodies, such as the EU. It has been estimated that in the EU, 60-70% of the soils are unhealthy and that land degradation costs more than 50 billion euro per year.

This underlines the critical need for experts with an in-depth understanding of the different components and interlinkages of soil processes in relation to global change, and trained to develop and apply evidence-based sustainable solutions.