Operationalizing the soil health metaphor to create sustainable food systems, with a focus on smallholder farming in the Global South

Restoring / enhancing soil health is key for sustainable intensification and regenerative agriculture in the Global South, while reducing vulnerability of
smallholder farmers to climate change.
A flexible framework is proposed that can be used to target, monitor and adapt soil health interventions with relevant stakeholders
Development of biological soil health indicators and assessment methods require more research – given the key role of soil biology for soil health/functions
High fertilizer costs, attention for soil health have led to the promotion of “smallholder-friendly” “biofertilizers” especially in Latin America, but scientific
evidence and mechanistic understanding is lacking.
Robust, hypothesis based, experimental research is needed to develop targeted, proven methods, alongside feasibility studies and development of business models