Healthy soils are in good chemical, biological and physical condition so that they can provide ecosystem services. This technical report introduces the "EU Soil Suitability Calculator," a robust methodology designed to quantify soil suitability at a global scale for crops consumed within the European Union. The report elaborates on a two-step approach that evaluates the soil suitability index and assesses the environmental impacts of agricultural practices necessary for optimal nutrition levels. Through this methodology, the intricate relationships between crop production, soil properties, and environmental effects are quantified, highlighting areas where sub-optimal soil conditions hinder productivity and unveiling potential trade-offs between yield optimisation and environmental sustainability. The calculator offers diverse outcomes, such as land use optimisation, enhanced soil organic carbon levels, improved soil pH management, soil compaction assessment, and soil erosion management. These findings have profound implications for policymakers, providing accurate data to support evidence-based decisions, targeted interventions, and evaluations of policy effectiveness. The proposed EU soil suitability calculator is ready to be tested for a given relevant crop consumed in EU.

YUNTA MEZQUITA Felipe;  LIAKOS Leonidas;  BROOTHAERTS Nils;  VAN EYNDE Elise;  PANAGOS Panos;  JONES Arwyn; 

2026-09-07

Publications Office of the European Union

JRC145173

978-92-68-43113-9 (online),   

1831-9424 (online),   

EUR 40838,    OP KJ-01-26-371-EN-N (online),   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC145173,   

10.2760/4660431 (online),