In a powerful call to action published in the European Journal of Soil Science, researchers at The James Hutton Institute are urging global society to treat soil degradation with the same urgency and communicative strategy that climate change demands. Their message is clear: we're running out of time to protect our soil-and how we talk about it may be the key to saving it.

Soil is far more than the dirt beneath our feet. It's a living, breathing system that supports food production, regulates the climate, sustains biodiversity, and underlies the infrastructure of our daily lives. In fact, soil hosts about 60% of all biodiversity and plays a critical role in climate mitigation. Yet, despite its importance, soil remains one of our most neglected natural resources.

Human activity-from industrial agriculture and deforestation to urbanization-is rapidly degrading soil ecosystems. The capacity of soils to store carbon, retain water, and nourish crops is diminishing. As soils become increasingly compromised, global food security, water quality, and climate resilience are at risk.

But fixing this isn't just about better farm practices or policy. It's about how we communicate the urgency of soil health to the public. That's where Dr. Karolina Trdlicova, a social scientist at the Hutton Institute, believes we can learn from climate science's struggles.

"Positive societal action for soil protection requires effective communication," said Dr. Trdlicova. "We have an opportunity to avoid the missteps that have made climate change messaging feel overwhelming or hopeless."

She argues that strategies such as declaring dramatic tipping points or setting doomsday deadlines may actually alienate audiences rather than inspire them. Instead, communicators must build trust, credibility, and connection-particularly with rural communities who already understand the value of healthy soil.

Crucially, the public must not be treated as ignorant. "Many rural populations possess deep, experiential knowledge of soil," said Trdlicova. Effective outreach must bridge the so-called ‘value-action gap'-where people care about soils and understand their importance but don't always take steps to protect them.

This means that soil communicators-from researchers to policymakers to ag advisors-must align their advocacy with tangible action. People need to see that calls for soil protection are backed by real, credible leadership.

As the U.S. agricultural sector faces its own soil challenges-from erosion in the Corn Belt to organic matter loss in the Southwest-the relevance of this research is immediate. Programs under the Farm Bill, as well as USDA soil conservation efforts, could benefit from integrating these communication insights to galvanize farmer participation and public support.

Ultimately, saving our soils will require a cultural shift as much as a technical one. Scientists at The James Hutton Institute have laid out a path not just for better policy or practices, but for better storytellistorytelling that empowers people to act before it's too late.