Horizontal Dimension: Actors, Power and Participation in Soil Governance

Soil governance does not operate in isolation from society. Instead, it emerges from the interaction of multiple actors, each bringing different roles, interests, responsibilities, and forms of influence. These actors range from public authorities and scientific institutions to farmers, educators, civil society organisations, and individual citizens. Together they form a complex and interdependent governance landscape in which decisions about soil are negotiated, implemented, and contested (Heuser, 2022; Ostrom, 2010).  

This diversity of actors reflects the nature of soil itself. Soils are typically managed locally, yet the consequences of their management extend far beyond local boundaries. Decisions taken on a farm, in a planning office, or in a research institution may influence carbon storage, biodiversity, water regulation, and food systems at much larger scales. As a result, effective soil governance requires coordination not only between institutions but also across societal actors with different perspectives and priorities. 

Understanding who participates in soil governance, and how power and responsibility are distributed among them, therefore becomes essential for understanding how soil protection actually happens in practice.