Rising desertifi-cation and droughts were feared to be destroying soil quality.

It also affects soil quality, leading to poor drainage.

The only island that proved the exception to this rule was a steeply-hilled landmass with poor soil quality.

Damage to land by overexploitation and failure to protect soil quality has reduced the productivity of almost a quarter (23 per cent) of the world's land.

During the soil health inquiry, soil organic carbon content was identified as the indicator of soil quality that the scientists agreed on.