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Soils are crucial life supporters and nutrient providers, their functionality impacted by their nutritional balance, pH, and organic matter content. These substrates help regulate water, support diverse organisms, and play a critical role in carbon sequestration, especially in the context of climate change. However, soils are under threat from anthropogenic and climatic pressures, warranting active resource management strategies. The European Union (EU) has acknowledged soil sustainability's importance, encouraging eco-friendly agricultural practices and enhanced soil carbon storage. However, the criticality of soils is often overlooked when establishing global sustainable development goals. Counteracting soil degradation is key in battling desertification and influenced by factors like unsustainable agriculture, deforestation, and poor irrigation. Innovative solutions like circular economy approaches and sustainable biomass utilization are necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Also, improving dietary habits and reducing food waste can help mitigate the environmental impact of food consumption, with a shift towards plant-based proteins being more sustainable. Addressing these challenges will contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The only constant in landscapes is change. Among other influences, such as climate change, these changes are driven by political decisions affecting ecosystem services. The overall research objective is to define how the European Union''s political strategies implemented through Rural Development Programmes and the Common Agricultural Policy might influence or change ecosystem goods and services in the future. This paper aims at outlining the research framework and especially focuses on spatially explicit modelling the distribution of subsidy cash flows on farm and parcel level. Experiments with changing political strategies and incentive payments were carried out in the Mondsee catchment (Austria) using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The results were visualised and show the dominant (inter-)national and regional funding programmes of this area. They further display the likely effects of changing political strategies on the monetary value of certain parcels and the overall farm–parcel balance. The validation of an aggregated set of funding measures reveals 15% deviation between the model framework and real subsidy payments. This approach is suitable for both (a) estimating the impact of changed funding strategies at EU level and (b) supporting farmers in identifying the best economic income sources on parcel and farm level. Embedded in the overall research objective the results constitute the basis for opening a discussion on how ecosystem services might change with political intervention strategies in rural areas and resulting landscape changes in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The impacts of agricultural land use are far-reaching and extend to areas outside production. This paper provides an overview of the ecological status of agricultural systems across the European Union in the light of recent policy changes. It builds on the previous review of 2001 devoted to the impacts of agricultural intensification in Western Europe. The focus countries are the UK, The Netherlands, Boreal and Baltic countries, Portugal, Hungary and Romania, representing a geographical spread across Europe, but additional reference is made to other countries. Despite many adjustments to agricultural policy, intensification of production in some regions and concurrent abandonment in others remain the major threat to the ecology of agro-ecosystems impairing the state of soil, water and air and reducing biological diversity in agricultural landscapes. The impacts also extend to surrounding terrestrial and aquatic systems through water and aerial contamination and development of agricultural infrastructures (e.g. dams and irrigation channels). Improvements are also documented regionally, such as successful support of farmland species, and improved condition of watercourses and landscapes. This was attributed to agricultural policy targeted at the environment, improved environmental legislation, and new market opportunities. Research into ecosystem services associated with agriculture may provide further pressure to develop policy that is targeted at their continuous provisioning, fostering motivation of land managers to continue to protect and enhance them. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]