Em defesa de políticas públicas integradas para o solo

Abstract

A brief historical background of the soil-society relations is presented, highlighting some recent social evolutions that changed the way society relates to this natural resource. Some special characteristics of the soil are emphasized to justify its unique nature when compared to other natural resources. Recent concepts and methodologies to monetarize the value of goods and benefits that societies take from ecosystems are also mentioned. The role of the soils in the ecosystem services is evaluated for the latest version of the CICES classification (v5.1, 2018), promoted by the European Environment Agency. Although not always evident, society's dependence on the soil resources encompasses a great deal of connections and relationships which require integrated public policies for promoting more sustainable soil-society relationships. Setting up informal platforms or discussion fora, integrating several stakeholders at regional or national level, in which soil scientists should have a key role, could be a way to promote that goal. Some symbolic measures with potential media impact are exemplified as means of getting better public awareness for the importance of the soil in our everyday life. Finally, the Portuguese Partnership for Soil (PPS) is mentioned as an example of a stakeholder forum dedicated to the promotion of more sustainable soil policies at national level.