Science in Agriculture - Assignment

Running head: SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE
SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
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Introduction
Soil degradation is regarded as a significant and emergent global concern whereby the
elevating world population raises the soil pressure and further results the natural capital of soil to
experience enduring decline. In recent times, global policy makers have identified and thus
introduced a range of approaches to focus on this concern (McBratney, Field & Koch, 2014).
The essay intends to evaluate the concept of soil security by further associating to five soil
solutions. In addition to this the paper further explains the relevance of soil security to Australia
by shedding light on the Global Societal Challenges.
Evaluating Concept of Soil Security in association with five soil functions
The concept of soil security is regarded as a recent theory that has emerged with the
elevating rate of imperative issues further experiencing global soil stock. This concept has been
related to the maintenance and enhancement of the world’s soil resources in order to sustain its
food and fresh water supply and facilitate its maintenance of bio-diversity along with the
safeguard of eco system products and services in general (Koch et al., 2013). However, it is
significant to recognize that for several people, ‘soil’ is referred as an interchangeable word
which can further be referred as ‘land’. Such a lack of distinction related to terminology
outcomes in an oversight of the supported character of soil within landscapes. The
conceptualization of ‘soil security’ can be evaluated by focusing on the way soil contributes to
the five essential functions within the landscape. The effective execution soil lies fundamentally
in solving serious concerns related to food security, biodiversity, and change in climatic
conditions along with fresh water regulation. However, in recent times several obstacles have
been identified in order to communicate such linkages. Thus, an effective conceptualization of

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soil security can be implemented in order to concentrate such deficiencies in order to provide a
functional psychological framework that will associate soil with productive consequences in
sustainable growth and development. The primary purpose in protecting soil is to sustain as well
as optimize its structure and outline, with its various and complex ecosystems of soil biota with
its nutrient cycling capability whereby it operates as a substrate for plantation further functioning
as a regulator for fresh water filtration and controller. The concept of soil security further
requires multidisciplinary approach that has its expansion beyond soil science ‘sensu stricto’.
Integration with the domains of ecology and economics to establish the value of renewable and
non-renewable resources along with engagement with social sciences in order to determine the
way soil policy-makers can associate society with the essential functions of soil in landscapes to
establish it as a fundamental component. Furthermore, determining policy tools that can execute
at international level and further be employed at local level will be considered to be significant
and critical and may require directions from other resource policy areas such as air and water.
Australia Leading Towards Soil Security with a Global Move
The term ‘soil security’ considered as a concept to sustain and improve the nature of soil
across the world so that they can continue to provide resources such as food, fibre and fresh
water. It further contributes to power, energy and climate sustainability, also facilitate the
maintenance of bio diversity, and safeguard environment friendly goods and services (Koch et
al., 2015). At this juncture, it is significant to recognize the way the Australian government has
been playing a critical role in establishing soil security in view of world awareness. Several
reports demonstrate the way Australian government and industry must direct the world and
facilitate the cooperation and alliance with cultivators in order to increase soil carbon for
enhanced level of soil security (Brevik et al., 2015). The agriculture sector of Australia is set to

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experience the critical and destructive impacts of the persistent change in the climatic conditions
by further developing the sequestration of carbon in soil to improve the level of soil security
whereby the government can augment the level of its production and alongside condense carbon
emissions (Lal, 2015). In the opinion of few Agricultural experts, the concept of soil security
essentially requires to raise the level of carbon quantity in soils by accepting the function of
sustainable agriculture practices. This is further to note that enhanced level of soil security would
support increased level of sustainable food, water and energy resources besides focusing on
extenuating climate change (Jones et al., 2013). However, as per several international experts,
Australia has successfully posited itself in a unique and significant position in order to direct the
efforts to enhance the level of soil protection with the country’s agricultural sector that is
regarded as the first to deal with the disputes and challenges of climate change. However, factors
related to science and technology has already increased its accessibility to the agricultural sector
and also around the world (Adhikari & Hartemink, 2016). However, it has established four
significant objectives which could be implemented for future improvements. The four objectives
primarily concentrated on the essential importance of soil as well as soil carbon, which the
society must identify along with the endurance, and health of human populace. Furthermore,
issues related to soil must be given utmost priority and concern as well as focusing on issues
related to climatic conditions (Lal, 2014). In addition to this, concept of soil security must be
attained through soil carbon sequestration as well as the optimization for social, environmental as
well as economic sustainability. Another significant purpose relates to the domain of science and
technology that is accessible to the agricultural sector in order to manage and improve soil
carbon with the local circumstances and must further be underpinned in executing through
adherence to public regulation as well as community recognition (Ahmad et al., 2014).

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Australian agriculture is anticipated to enhance its capture and usage of soil water and
improve the nutritional level of soil in order to reduce its dependency on the high level of energy
requirements for production of nonliving or inorganic fertilizers. It is further anticipated that the
Australian agricultural industry will preserve soil in order to stock more carbon and to condense
its greenhouse gas emissions in particularly those associated with fertilization activities (Lal,
2015). However, it has been anticipated by majority of Australians that the production of food
and fibre harvests to be sustainable whereby the farming landscapes will serve improved quality
environmental friendly services like non-polluted air and fresh water and healthy soils along with
the protection of biodiversity. These barriers and challenges have been noted to emerge together
in the conceptualization of soil security (Adhikari & Hartemink, 2016). Furthermore, concept of
social security has been concerned with the preservation and maintenance as well as
enhancement of the global soil resource in order to improve the production level of nutrition,
fibre and fresh water. It also contribute to the sustainability of energy and climatic conditions,
with the conservation of biodiversity and welfare of the ecosystem (McBratney, Field & Koch,
2014). Though it has been recognized that Australia has been continuing to generate excellent
soil research and development, the domain of awareness and knowledge require to combat these
barriers and challenges and further to evaluate advancement and development which is
unavailable in current times (Jones et al., 2013). Importantly, an organized and coordinated
strategy is required by the nation which has further been identified.
Therefore, from the above discussion it can be concluded that it is immensely important
for any nation to effectively maintain and protect soil in order to preserve food, fibre along with
fresh water resources. The essay has evaluated the way the concept of soil security can be

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analysed by focusing on five of its functions and further highlighted the way Australia has been
working to preserve and safeguard its soil to improve the production level of its resources.

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References
Adhikari, K., & Hartemink, A. E. (2016). Linking soils to ecosystem services—A global
review. Geoderma, 262, 101-111.
Ahmad, M., Rajapaksha, A. U., Lim, J. E., Zhang, M., Bolan, N., Mohan, D., ... & Ok, Y. S.
(2014). Biochar as a sorbent for contaminant management in soil and water: a
review. Chemosphere, 99, 19-33.
Brevik, E. C., Cerdà, A., Mataix-Solera, J., Pereg, L., Quinton, J. N., Six, J., & Van Oost, K.
(2015). The interdisciplinary nature of SOIL. Soil, 1(1), 117.
Jones, D. L., Cross, P., Withers, P. J., DeLuca, T. H., Robinson, D. A., Quilliam, R. S., ... &
Edwards‐Jones, G. (2013). Nutrient stripping: the global disparity between food security
and soil nutrient stocks. Journal of Applied Ecology, 50(4), 851-862.
Koch, A., Chappell, A., Eyres, M., & Scott, E. (2015). Monitor soil degradation or triage for soil
security? An Australian challenge. Sustainability, 7(5), 4870-4892.
Koch, A., McBratney, A., Adams, M., Field, D., Hill, R., Crawford, J., ... & Angers, D. (2013).
Soil security: solving the global soil crisis. Global Policy, 4(4), 434-441.
Lal, R. (2014). Societal value of soil carbon. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 69(6),
186A-192A.
Lal, R. (2015). Restoring soil quality to mitigate soil degradation. Sustainability, 7(5), 5875-
5895.

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McBratney, A., Field, D. J., & Koch, A. (2014). The dimensions of soil security. Geoderma, 213,
203-213.