Articles | Volume 10, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-505-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-505-2024
Original research article
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18 Jul 2024
Original research article | Highlight paper |  | 18 Jul 2024

Can corporate supply chain sustainability standards contribute to soil protection?

Jan Frouz, Vojtěch Čemus, Jaroslava Frouzová, Alena Peterková, and Vojtěch Kotecký

Cited articles

Amundson, R.: The policy challenges to managing global soil resources, Geoderma, 379, 114639, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2020.114639, 2020. 
Arvidsson, J. and Håkansson, I.: A model for estimating crop yield losses caused by soil compaction, Soil Till. Res., 20, 319–332, https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-1987(91)90046-Z, 1991. 
Barker, N., Ely, D., Galvin, N., Shapiro, A., and Watts, A.: Enacting Systems Change: Precompetitive Collaboration to Address Persistent Global Problems, University of Michigan, https://doi.org/10.7302/1740, 2021. 
Blackman, A. and Rivera, J.: Producer-level benefits of sustainability certification, Conserv. Biol., 25, 1176–1185, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01774.x, 2011. 
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Executive editor
As consumers demand to know more about the provenance of their food and the impact its production has on the environment, it is timely to consider the role that the supply chains of companies play in protecting soils from degradation. Soil degradation is increasingly considered as a commercial risk in supply chains, with soil quality a priority objective in retail-sector sustainability efforts. Many products and services rely on soils, and loss of productivity can be a significant risk. This interesting paper examines how soil sustainability features in accreditation schemes used by major food retailers and the potential influence these might have for soil protection. As many organizations and companies across different sectors are attempting to apply robust sustainability standards, it makes a timely contribution. It addresses four key questions: (i) To what extent are companies considering soil sustainability as part of their sustainability strategy? (ii) Do sustainability standards that companies use have a potentially meaningful impact on soil protection, and does that impact affect standards' market penetration? (iii) Are schemes that emphasize the environment more likely to have a stronger soil-related impact? (iv) What are companies' practical considerations in their application of soil protection criteria in voluntary sustainability standards?
Short summary
We explore business efforts to ensure soil quality in their supply chains through the application of supplier sustainability standards. Through a content analysis of existing sustainability standards and companies' sustainability reports, we found that soil sustainability is an important priority for food retailers. However, the standards currently applied tend to have a limited impact on soil protection due to a lack of specific criteria and thresholds.