Valuation and mapping of cultivated soil ecosystem services

Soils are the main underpinning natural capital asset of the agricultural sector. As such they are primarily managed to meet the objectives of food and fodder provisioning services. They also contribute to a wider range ecosystem services that can benefit both farmers and wider society. The ability of soils to produce multiple ecosystem services will be a function of the interactions of their properties including texture, local biophysical conditions such as climate and topography, and how it is managed.

In this paper we undertake a discrete choice valuation of ecosystem services associated with healthy soils. These include improving water quality, regulating water flows to reduce both flood and drought risks, increasing carbon sequestration and enhancing soil biodiversity. Levels were defined by a review of regenerative agriculture practices. We find significant and positive preferences for all attributes and levels, although these are non-linear, and there is evidence of preference heterogeneity. As we might expect willingness to pay for change is positively associated with pro-environmental attitudes, whilst environmental sceptics are less likely to support changes in soil management. We then apply the estimated values to spatial data of soil properties to identify areas where soil natural capital contributes most to service provision, also indicating areas of risk where policy interventions can be targeted.