Rules beneath our feet

Horizontal Dimension: Actors, Power and Participation

Soil governance does not operate in isolation from society. It emerges from the interaction of multiple actors, each bringing different roles, interests, responsibilities, and forms of influence — public authorities, scientific institutions, farmers, educators, civil society organisations, individual citizens. Together they form a complex and interdependent governance landscape in which decisions about soil are negotiated, implemented, and contested (Heuser, 2022; Ostrom, 2010).

Scientific institutions and knowledge production

Scientific institutions provide the knowledge base that informs soil governance. Across Europe, long-term monitoring networks and harmonised datasets — such as the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC) and the LUCAS Soil Survey — provide information on soil properties, land-use patterns, and degradation trends.

Researchers contribute by identifying risks and degradation processes; developing indicators of soil health; evaluating land management practices and their environmental impacts; and designing restoration strategies for degraded soils. Monitoring systems do more than generate technical data — they also shape political attention. What is measured becomes visible in policy debates; what is not monitored often remains overlooked.

Farmers, land managers and economic actors

Farmers, foresters, landowners, and developers are key actors because they directly manage land. Their everyday decisions — tillage methods, crop rotations, fertilisation, irrigation, drainage, construction — shape soil conditions more immediately than most policies or scientific studies. Governance systems try to influence these decisions through:

• Regulatory standards, defining minimum environmental requirements
• Financial incentives, such as subsidies or agri-environmental schemes under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
• Advisory and extension services, providing technical support for sustainable land management
• Market-based instruments, including certification systems and ecosystem service payments

Civil society, education and cultural framing

Non-governmental organisations advocate for stronger soil protection policies. Educational institutions integrate soil literacy into curricula. Community groups, artists, communicators, and cultural initiatives shape public perceptions — connecting soil to themes like food systems, climate change, or cultural heritage. Although these actors may not exercise formal regulatory authority, they shape public discourse and political priorities. Governance therefore involves not only legal regulation but also the cultural framing of environmental issues (UNEP, 2019).

Participation and democratic legitimacy

Citizens may engage in soil governance through public consultations, citizen science initiatives, local sustainability projects, support for sustainable food systems, and electoral processes. Individual actions alone cannot replace regulatory frameworks — but inclusive governance processes strengthen legitimacy, public trust, and long-term policy effectiveness (Newig & Fritsch, 2009).

Governance involves you

Governance structures determine how decisions about soil are made, who participates, and how responsibilities are distributed. For students, researchers, planners, educators, or citizens interested in sustainability, this insight carries an important implication: you are not outside the governance system — you are part of it.