GUEST EDITORIAL Soils are back on the global agenda

In the 1990s and early 2000s, there was widespread pessimism on the status of soil science in most parts of the world. This was mainly due to dwindling research budgets, reduced number of students and the overall perception that soil science and pedology were dead and buried. Renewed interest in agriculture for food, feed and fuel has brought soils back onto the global research agenda. Soil erosion, nutrient depletion and pollution are key issues brought up in many recent reports by UN and other international organizations. The need for up-to-date and fine resolution soil information and the revival of soil research is highlighted and prioritized in several studies. There is increased interest in soils in the popular press and media, and soils have entered the policy arena. For the global soil science community, there are challenges ahead and there is a direct need to educate a new generation of soil scientists.