Soil health has been defined as “the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living system, within ecosystem and land-use boundaries, to sustain biological productivity, maintain the quality of air and water environments, and promote plant, animal, and human health.” The challenge with this poetic definition is that, while it does describe the functional abilities of soil, it does not provide quantifiable values or measurements. Read more in this article from the Alberta Farm Express.

Soil health is the capacity of soil to function as a vital living system to sustain biological productivity, maintain environmental quality, and promote plant, animal, and human health. This is a concept that characterizes the ability of a living soil system to perform functions such as supporting plant health. Read more in this article from the Soil Health Partnership.