Economic Benefits
of Soil Health Practices
Economic benefits of climate-smart agricultural practices: empirical investigations and policy implications
Source: Sang, X. et al. (2024), Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change
Survey data suggests that adopting “climate-smart” agricultural practices significantly and positively affects net farm income and income diversity, improving farmer welfare.
Economics of Soil Health Systems
Source: Soil Health Institute (SHI) and Cargill, 2021
New analysis of 100 farms in 9 states who have adopted soil health systems finds increased net farm income by an average of $52/acre for corn and $45/acre for soybean, as well as increased crop resilience to extreme weather among 97% of participants.
Conservation’s Impact on the Farm Bottom Line
Source: Soil Health Partnership, Environmental Defense Fund, K Coe Isom, 2021
New study of Midwestern corn and soybean farmers shows how conservation tillage and cover crop usage can be part of a profitable system. Explore the case studies of these seven farmers improving their bottom lines through soil health systems.
Quantifying Economic and Environmental Benefits of Soil Health
Source: American Farmland Trust, 2019 - 2020
New American Farmland Trust-NRCS case studies show soil health practices increase farm profitability - with tens of thousands of dollars in improvements to the bottom line (case studies summarized here).
Why Soil Health?
Source: Land Core, 2020
Explore these facts and figures demonstrating that soil health is a key economic driver.
Cover Crop Economics: Opportunities to Improve Your Bottom Line
Source: USDA & Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE), 2019
A new report that provides practical strategies demonstrating how investment in cover crops (and other conservation practices) can work as hard for the bottom line as they do for the soil.
Valuing the Ecosystem Service Benefits from Regenerative Agriculture Practices
Source: Farmland LP, Delta Institute, Earth Economics, 2018
Through the investment of two funds, this report shows the profound impact of soil health management practices, yielding a 67% net financial gain on the fund, as well as a net-positive increase to the land's valuable ecosystem services.
Farm Finance and Conservation: How stewardship generates value for farmers, lenders, insurers and landowners
Source: Environmental Defense Fund, K Coe Isom, 2018
Report of three in-depth case studies on the financial benefits of conservation and soil health practices.
Regenerative agriculture: merging farming and natural resource conservation profitably
Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2018
Researchers show that conservation practices can increase farm profitability by nearly 80%.
Soil Health Research
Source: National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) & Datu, 2017
This well-regarded study shows that corn and soybean farmers who use cover crops and/or no-till can improve their bottom lines by over $100 per acre.
Economics of Soil Health
Source: Indiana-Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative, 2016
Dive into the case studies of seven successful Indiana farmers who enjoyed the financial returns of soil health practices such as no-till and cover crops.
Soil and its Sustainability
Source: Nature, 2015
Explore the latest articles and peer-reviewed soil science, including new frontiers in microbiology, yield, risk-mitigation and nutrition.
The Case for
Risk Mitigation
The extent of soil loss across the US corn belt
Source: Thaler, E.A. et al. (2021), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
It is well known that soil erosion continues to occur across the US. The authors used a remote-sensing method to quantify this soil loss, finding that the A-horizon soil has been eroded from approximately one-third of the US corn belt region, which has contributed to carbon removal, cash crop yield loss, and economic loss.
Further adoption of conservation tillage can increase maize yields in the western US Corn Belt
Source: Cambron, T.W. et al. (2024), Environmental Research Letters
Using sub-field level datasets on corn yield and tillage in four US corn belt region states, the authors found long-term adoption of conservation tillage increased rainfed corn yields across the region by an average of 9.9% between 2008-2020.
Soil organic matter protects US maize yields and lowers crop insurance payouts under drought
Source: Yale School of the Environment, 2021
Dig into this new study finding that higher levels of soil organic matter mitigate yield losses and lead to lower crop insurance payout rates under drought conditions.
Long-Term Evidence Shows that Crop-Rotation Diversification Increases Agricultural Resilience to Adverse Growing Conditions in North America
Source: Dr. Timothy Bowles et al, One Earth, 2020
New study finds that certain soil health practices increase yields, even under drought conditions.
Soil Health Practices for Mitigating Natural Disasters
Source: USDA, 2018
Increasing the amount of rainwater that infiltrates into the ground across the landscape ultimately decreases soil erosion and the potential for flooding (on farmland and in nearby towns and cities) by giving rain a place to go.
Effects on Soil Water Holding Capacity and Soil Water Retention Resulting from Soil Health Management Practices Implementation - A Review of the Literature Posted to the NRCS Soil Health Website as of 9/2016
Source: USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), 2018
NRCS literature review on the impacts of soil health management systems on water holding capacity and water retention rates.
Turning Soils Into Sponges - How Farmers Can Fight Floods and Droughts
Source: Union of Concerned Scientists, 2017
With taxpayers footing the bill for approximately $10 billion a year in crop insurance alone due to flood and drought, the case for “continuous living cover” and other practices that build soil is clear.
Covering Crops: How Federal Crop Insurance Program Reforms Can Reduce Costs, Empower Farms, and Protect Natural Resources
Source: Natural Resources Defense Council, 2017
Discussion paper showing how reforming federal crop insurance to incentivize soil health-building practices would reduce risk and save taxpayer dollars.
Farmers Employ Strategies To Reduce Risk of Drought Damages
Source: USDA-Economic Research Service (ERS), 2017
A mix of management practices that increase soil organic matter while reducing soil-moisture loss help farms adapt to drought risk.
Restoring Soil Quality to Mitigate Soil Degradation
Source: Sustainability Journal, Rattan Lal, 2015
Improving soil quality (i.e., increasing SOC pool, improving soil structure, enhancing soil fertility) can reduce risks and provide a number of economic and ecosystem benefits.
Soil Health
Funding
USDA Programs:
🌾 Conservation Innovation Grants - Soil Health Demonstration Trials (NRCS)
The USDA-NRCS Soil Health Demonstration Trials incentivize and reward improved soil health and help compensate producers for the cost and perceived risk of implementing new conservation practices.
In 2020, NRCS funded 14 On-Farm Trials projects at a total of $24.3M.
These Trials began as a provision in the 2018 Farm Bill, which a strong coalition of NGOs, farmers, businesses, and soil scientists worked to support.
See Land Core’s memo of recommendations to NRCS-CIG regarding the implementation of the SHDT.
🌾 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) (NRCS)
🌾 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) (NRCS)
🌾 Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) (NRCS)
🌾 Conservation Programs (FSA)
🌾 NRCS Webinar Library
Other Resources/Financing:
🌾 FarmRaise: Visit the farm funding platform that helps producers apply to USDA cost-share programs. FarmRaise also hosts a funding library of public and private grants and cost-share programs, emergency and disaster relief, state specific opportunities, easements, loans, and other funds aligned with farmer profitability and soil health.
🌾 Mad Agriculture’s Perennial Fund
🌾 Steward’s Crowd Farming platform
🌾 rePlant’s Soil Fund
🌾 The Soil & Water Outcomes Fund - jointly administered by the Iowa Soybean Association and Quantified Ventures
🌾 Harvest Returns’ flexible financing
🌾 Agricultural banks such as Compeer Financial are looking into soil health-based risk assessment
Soil Health Measurement
& Assessment
A proposal for the assessment of soil security: Soil functions, soil services and threats to soil
Source: Evangelista, S.J. et al. (2023), Soil Security
The authors address the three roles of soil: function, service, and potential threats, and discuss indicators for soil security that can be quantitatively addressed through agricultural case studies.
A minimum suite of soil health indicators for North American agriculture
Source: Bagnall, D.K. et al. (2023), Soil Security
Discusses outcomes from the North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements (NAPESHM), which took soil samples from 688 replicated treatments at 124 sites and categorized different measurements (such as texture, CEC, pH, etc.) based on whether they primarily reflect differences in inherent soil properties, soil health, or soil fertility.
Land Core Proposal to Guide Development of an Outcomes-Verified Soil Health Program
Source: Land Core 2020
Land Core has developed explanatory language for legislation directing the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a voluntary “Outcomes-Verified Soil Health (OVSH) Program” for working lands, through USDA-NRCS. This work may be useful guidance for entities including USDA and private sector actors seeking to develop infrastructure to support monitoring, reporting and verification of soil health or other ecological outcomes.
Metrics to Make it Work
Prepared by Jessica Chiartas, P.h.D candidate, UC Davis, and presented by Jessica Chiartas and Aria McLauchlan at Soil Health Institute’s Annual Meeting 2019; first presented by Ms. Chiartas at CalCAN’s Annual Summit 2019.
A landscape analysis of major soil health assessment initiatives which identifies some of the overlapping and commonly used soil health indicators. Which are most useful for farmers? For policymakers? For investors and bankers?
Engage in Policy
Federal Soil Health Bill Tracker
Developed by Land Core, 2024, updated weekly
Explore and track bills introduced into U.S. Congress that could have a significant impact on soil health and resilience. Our tracker includes analysis and is a robust source of information and engagement for the soil health community. Join our alerts list for bi-weekly emails.
Resources and Policy Recommendations for Soil Health
Prepared by Land Core, 2021
A landscape overview of the diverse policy proposals and resources made by independent organizations which address soil health (found in Resources/Recommendations tab of the Land Core Bill Tracker).
Soil Policy Action
soilpolicyaction.us
Learn about US state soil health policy with this map, or contact your government representative, through this collaborative initiative designed to support the growth of healthy soil policies and public engagement.