Onder het Maaiveld

Without vital soil we cannot achieve the climate and biodiversity targets

The health of Dutch soil is under severe pressure. The soil life is in poor condition due to intensive land use and the addition of harmful substances. However, a rich soil life is essential for many soil functions, such as retaining and purifying water, carbon storage, natural pest management and recycling nutrients. Without vital soil we cannot achieve the climate and biodiversity targets.

Did you know that over a quarter of the earth’s biodiversity lives in the soil?

Microorganisms, springtails, earthworms, moles: they all live in the soil. Many insects also spend part of their life underground. A tablespoon of earth can contain thousands of species.

What are the objectives of Onder het Maaiveld?

The programme focuses on three priorities:

Raising awareness of the wealth and importance of vital soil;
Affording vital soil social and economic value;
Boosting and exchanging knowledge about effective measures to restore and protect soil life.

Want to read more about Onder het Maaiveld?

Click www.onder-het-maaiveld.nl to read more about this programme. Register for our newsletter to keep up-to-date with the latest soil news (in Dutch).

Our Partners

The programme Onder het Maaiveld is a cooperation between IUCN NL, The Dutch Butterfly Conservation, and the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) & Centre for Soil Ecology. We work together with other social partners on a structural change in soil management, which should enable the rehabilitation of our soils. Jointly, we want to ensure that soil biodiversity and soil health become a priority in organising and managing the landscape.