Critical soil-health indicators sought to show organic transition

Traditional agricultural practices have had enormous direct and indirect consequences on productivity, profitability, and environmental quality throughout America. The Organic Center is in the process of developing a new scientific protocol to monitor and compare soil quality between conventional and organic agricultural systems across a diversity of ecoregions in North America.

Researchers are looking at how best to quantify soil quality indicators (chemical, physical and biological properties) in practical ways that are sensitive to changes, sensitive to variations in management and climate, encompass ecosystem characteristics and, where possible, use components of existing soil data.

The development of quantitative relationships among soil quality, environmental protection, and human health will provide farmers, consumers, and policy analysts critical new information to make decisions about the relative merits of different food production systems and technologies.