SOILAssist-Teilprojekt ‚Akzeptanz und Implementierung‘ : Analyse behördlicher Handlungsempfehlungen zur Vermeidung von Bodenverdichtung auf Ackerböden

The interdisciplinary BonaRes collaborative project SOILAssist serves the ‘Sustainable protection and improvement of soil functions with intelligent land management strategies’ by developing a practical on-the-fly assistance system for farmers (grant number 031A563A). In its first phase, the SOILAssist sub-project ‘Acceptance and Implementation’ consisted of a literature and media analysis (Project Deliverable D11), a survey and a compilation (`Yellow Pages’ Soil Compaction) and this analysis with Official recommendations for the prevention of soil compaction on arable land (Deliverable D12). The aim was an analysis of legal regulations on the state and federal levels, including performance assessments as well as interconnections to the EU level. Also completed were a detailed analysis of brochures, flyers and other recommendation tools. This analysis (closing date: February 22, 2018) is based on an internet search and therefore does not claim completeness. The topic ‘soil compaction’ is addressed in most governmental information material on the state and federal levels. Nevertheless, the quality of the content and the practicability vary in value. This analysis shows that prevention of soil compaction is. Thus, it becomes clear that the application of the laws (German Federal Soil Protection Act (BBodSchG), German Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance (BBodSchV)) is regulated heterogeneously due to the complex federal structure in Germany. Overall, the implementation of the BBodSchG and the BBodSchV is seen as very difficult and – with some exceptions – lacking in exactness, comprehensibility, availability and timeliness of the materials. On federal state initiated a stakeholder-oriented discussion series and has used the consensus principle to successfully reach agreement on prevention of soil compaction. Results derived here are to be set in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Agenda 2030, EU-soil policies and the 7th Environmental Action Programme until 2020 (7th EAP). A stakeholder agreement on prevention of soil compaction seems to be – given the potential for improvement of the regulatory law and its performance – an adequate bottom-up solution or a suitable ‘vehicle of change’ for reaching a location-specific soil management. Launched in 2015, the funding initiative BonaRes of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is headquartered at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF). It will serve to deliver a scientific basis to strengthen sustainable soil use within the bioeconomy (Soil as a sustainable resource for the bioeconomy – BonaRes). The funding initiative is part of the German National Research Strategy BioEconomy 2030 which focuses on a systemic approach. The SOILAssist sub-project ‘Acceptance and Implementation’ has already brought some results into public debate (in the period since 08/2015).