Dear Colleagues,

Life on Earth depends on healthy soils that provide food, clean water, habitats for biodiversity and other important ecosystem services. Nevertheless, poor agricultural management, pollution due to atmospheric deposition and mining activities, irresponsible application of high loads of fertilizers and pesticides, and the deposition of residues can alter the ecological balance of soils in the short and long term. Their consequences encompass the loss of soil productive capacity and environmental problems that are directly (eutrophication, erosion, etc.) and indirectly (greenhouse effect, loss of biodiversity, etc.) related to soils. Thus, soils are globally a threatened resource. Restoring soil's productive capacity and avoiding risks for environment health must be performed in a sustainable way.

The circular economy represents a promising model for supporting sustainable agriculture and reducing the environmental impact of production, processing, and waste-management-related activities. Thus, nutrients present in organic waste can potentially be utilized as fertilizers or soil amendments to reduce the economic and environmental costs associated with fertilizer production and waste disposal. On the other hand, transformed organic wastes are also being used to reclaim degraded soils, as their application supports pollutant stabilization and a greater contribution of carbon to soil, which increases soil’s water retention capacity and, consequently, its physical, chemical, and biological quality.

Therefore, this Special Issue focuses on promoting sustainable agriculture and strategies for the restoration of degraded soils, with special emphasis on soil health effects, covering biological, chemical, physical, biochemical, and environmental aspects.

Dr. José De la Rosa
Dr. Paloma Campos
Guest Editors

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• organic amendments
• organic fertilizer
• sustainability
• soil remediation
• soil organic matter
• waste as soil ameliorant
• biochar
• compost
• pollutants
• heavy metals