In the article Making Soil Count: Digital Translations of Soil and Its Value, Nancy Brett, postdoctoral researcher at the Division of Environmental Technology and Management, Linköping University, and Geneviève Metson, Associate Professor at Western University in Canada, examine how digital technologies are shaping the way we understand and value soil.
The study is based on a qualitative analysis of policy documents, digital platforms and other materials related to the EU's Soil Mission.
– Digitalisation is not the problem in itself. The problem arises when digital knowledge becomes the only knowledge that counts. That risks excluding other important ways of understanding soil, says Nancy Brett.
More than numbers and sensors
The European Union is investing heavily in digital tools to monitor soil health through its Soil Mission. While these technologies provide valuable information, the researchers argue that they cannot capture every aspect of healthy soil.
Local and experience-based knowledge, such as observing earthworms, feeling the texture and moisture of soil, or recognising how different plants respond to changing conditions over time is often left out of digital monitoring systems.
– Numbers and maps can easily be perceived as more objective or more truthful, Nancy Brett explains. But understanding soil health requires both digital data and the knowledge developed through close interaction with the land.
The study shows that current soil health indicators primarily focus on the soil's physical and chemical properties, including erosion, pH levels and contamination, as well as its role in agricultural production. At the same time, biological processes and soil organisms, including earthworms, receive much less attention.
How we measure soil health also influences how we value soil – and ultimately the decisions we make about land use, food production and nature conservation.
Soil health depends on context
The study shows that digital technologies can be an important tool, but they need to be complemented by local, practical and experience-based knowledge to provide a more complete picture of soil health. Combining different ways of knowing can contribute to a better understanding of the complexity of soil.
– There is no universal checklist that determines whether soil is healthy. A healthy soil is one that is in balance with its specific environment, including both people and nature, says Nancy Brett.
Digital data are only the beginning
The rapid development of artificial intelligence makes the issue even more pressing. Since AI relies on digital information, it may reinforce existing blind spots if digital data are treated as the complete picture.
– Digital data are excellent for identifying problems and providing an overview, says Nancy Brett. But solutions need to be developed together with the people who know the land. Digital information is a starting point, not the end of the story.
Nancy Brett hopes the research will encourage both scientists and policymakers to broaden their understanding of soil.
– We need to see soil as a living system rather than simply a medium for agriculture or construction. Only then can we make decisions that reflect its full ecological value.
Article: Making Soil Count: Digital Translations of Soil and Its Value. Brett, N., & Metson, G. S. Public, 37(73), 24–36, online april 2026. DOI: 10.1386/public_00287_1
