Durham University has established a world first research group – the Living Soils team - bringing together expertise from Durham’s Engineering, Biosciences, and Sociology departments, with partners from agriculture, government, industry and across the academy.
Our environmental engineers, sociologists and plant scientists are collaborating to restore both urban and rural soils. Our sociology-framed approach brings practical routes to shift how we think about and use soil, to grow our understanding of soil as a living material, and help Government and industry sustainably manage our land. By using nature-based Soil-Microbiome Augmentation & Restoration Technologies (SMART) methods we can optimise the food, water and climate services that soil provides.
The Living Soils programme, funded by Durham University's Strategic Research Fund, seeks to restore degraded agricultural, urban and industrial soils, improving soil health, and adopting a soil-centric approach that benefits people, places and planet. Watch the video to find out more about soil restoration.
Our cross-faculty team combines practical engineering insights, sociological expertise and biological methods and technologies, in a co-developed programme with key external partners.
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