Sustainable Soils
UK not-for-profit community interest company launched in 2017 that designs and campaigns for sustainable soil management policy, producing research, evaluation frameworks, and convening platforms for policymakers, farmers, researchers, NGOs, and food businesses across the United Kingdom.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- Headquarters—
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sustainable Soils does
Sustainable Soils Alliance (SSA) is a UK-based not-for-profit community interest company (CIC 10802764) launched in October 2017 to advance sustainable soil management policy within a generation. Operating with a lean team of three key staff (Co-Executive Directors Ellen Fay and Matthew Orman, plus communications lead Tilly Kimble-Wilde), SSA functions as a convening body that bridges government, academia, farming, industry, and environmental NGOs to influence soil-related legislation, monitoring frameworks, and incentive schemes. Its core deliverables are policy research outputs (e.g., the Headline Indicator Proposal, the Minimum Requirements for High-Integrity Soil Carbon Markets report from 2022, the 2024 Soil Health Measurement and Assessment Initiatives review), evaluation frameworks (such as the Soils in Government Farm Support Schemes framework), and convening platforms including the Soil Health Industry Platform (SHIP) and a collaboration program with the British Society of Soil Science.
The organization deliberately chose a CIC structure rather than charity status to retain the ability to campaign on government policy. Revenue mechanics rely on donations, grants (including past funding from Defra's Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund), and membership support; SSA is registered with 1% for the Planet. Distribution of its outputs occurs through free website downloads, weekly newsletters (Week In Soil), parliamentary briefings and events, industry conferences (BSSS, World Congress of Soil Science), earned media coverage, and amplification via its 15+ network partners spanning universities (Sheffield, Plymouth, Aberdeen), farming bodies (NFU, NFFN, Groundswell), research institutes (UKCEH), and NGOs (Sustain, Rivers Trust, Eden Project).
Strategic positioning is anchored on shaping major UK policy milestones including the 25 Year Plan for the Environment (2018), Agriculture Act (2020), Environment Act (2021), Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme evolution, and the JNCC National Soil Health Indicators (published March 2026). All outputs are produced domestically for a single-country market (United Kingdom) and are offered without charge, with no commercial software product, no API, and no proprietary technology stack beyond its public-facing website and policy knowledge base.
Sustainable Soils firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sustainable Soils
- Legal name
- Sustainable Soils Alliance
- Website
- https://sustainablesoils.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- UK not-for-profit community interest company launched in 2017 that designs and campaigns for sustainable soil management policy, producing research, evaluation frameworks, and convening platforms for policymakers, farmers, researchers, NGOs, and food businesses across the United Kingdom.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sustainable Soils industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Policy Advocacy
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)
Keywords
Sustainable Soils business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations and Membership: The organization is a not-for-profit community interest company (CIC 10802764) that relies on donations and membership support. They are registered with 1% for the Planet. The organization explicitly chose not to set up as a charity to allow for political campaigning activities.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Sustainable Soils product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Sustainable Soils Alliance designs and campaigns for soil-related policies in the UK, convening policy-makers, businesses, NGOs, researchers, and farmers. It produces policy research outputs, evaluation frameworks, consultation responses, and collaborative programs that advocate for the regulations, incentives, monitoring standards, and nature markets needed to protect and restore UK soils within a generation.
Product overview
Sustainable Soils Alliance is a not-for-profit community interest company focused on policy advocacy to drive sustainable soil management in the UK within a generation. Rather than a commercial software product, SSA offers a portfolio of policy research outputs, evaluation frameworks, and collaborative programs including: the Headline Indicator Proposal for soils in the 25 Year Plan, Minimum Requirements for Soil Carbon Markets, Government Scheme Evaluation Frameworks, the Soil Health Industry Platform (SHIP), and partnerships with organizations like the British Society of Soil Science. Their outputs are primarily reports, consultation responses, and advocacy materials designed to influence policy rather than commercial products or software platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Healthy Soils as Headline Indicator Proposal A technical proposal developed at the invitation of Defra's Chief Scientist to establish soils as a Headline Indicator in the UK government's 25 Year Plan for the Environment.
- Minimum Requirements for High-Integrity Soil Carbon Markets in the UK A report providing recommendations on minimum requirements for high-integrity soil carbon markets in the UK, developed with Defra NEIRF funding.
- Soil Health Measurement and Assessment Initiatives in the UK: A Review A comprehensive mapping exercise of the principal UK initiatives used to measure and assess on-farm soil health, covering government policies, certification schemes, and carbon calculators.
- Soils in Government Farm Support Schemes: Evaluation Framework A framework to evaluate UK government farming support schemes against indicators across four categories — Environment, Data, Economics, and Wider Policy — to assess their impact on soil health.
- Approaches to Soil Monitoring Across the Four Nations of the UK A workshop report identifying, mapping, and evaluating the readiness of soil-assessment-focused research for policy delivery across the four UK nations.
- Soil Health Industry Platform (SHIP) A platform bringing together UK food and drink businesses to address barriers to soils data collection and share insights on sustainable farming initiatives.
- Week In Soil Newsletter A regular newsletter providing SSA news, reports, and updates on soil health policy and research.
- Policy Campaigning Services Advocacy services that connect corporates, leading NGOs, government policymakers, and scientists behind common objectives to strengthen soil initiatives across the UK through collaborative research and policy initiatives.
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully advocated for inclusion of soil health targets in the 25 Year Plan for the Environment (2018)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Sustainable Soils
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Sustainable Soils technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sustainable Soils partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Professor Pete Smith (University of Aberdeen)coreCo-lead of the Land Use for Net Zero Hub Soil Health and Carbon Dynamics Topic Advisory Group. Provided expert commentary on Climate Change Committee's 'A Well-Adapted UK' report and soil carbon measurement challenges.
- University of SheffieldcoreAcademic partner providing research expertise and collaboration on soil science and policy. The university is part of the SSA's network of academic institutions working on sustainable soil management.
- GroundswellcoreAnnual regenerative farming festival that serves as a key platform for farmer engagement and knowledge exchange on soil health practices. SSA attends and provides observations from the event.
- University of PlymouthcoreAcademic partner, notably Professor Will Blake who contributes to international soil health discussions and bridging global policy gaps.
- NFU (National Farmers Union)coreFarming organization representing UK farmers, providing perspective on agricultural soil management challenges and opportunities within the SSA network.
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH)coreGovernment research organization providing scientific expertise on soil and land use. Hosts workshops on soil monitoring across the four UK nations and contributes to the Land Use for Net Zero Hub.
- GS GrowerscoreFarming business mentioned as pioneering regenerative agriculture practices and trialing incentive schemes for soil health improvement.
- Sustain (UK Food & Farming Campaign)coreCampaign organization advocating for better food and farming policies, part of the SSA's network of environmental NGOs.
- Rivers TrustcoreEnvironmental charity focused on river and waterway health. Soils are integral to water quality and flood mitigation, aligning with the Trust's mission.
- NFFN (Nature Friendly Farming Network)coreNetwork of farmers committed to nature-friendly farming practices, including soil health improvement as a core principle.
- Yeo Valley OrganiccoreOrganic dairy company with commitment to sustainable farming practices, representing private sector engagement in soil health.
- Eden ProjectcoreEducational charity and visitor attraction focused on environmental awareness and conservation, providing platform for soil health education.
- LUNZ Hub (Land Use for Net Zero, Nature and People Hub)coreMajor initiative addressing land use challenges. SSA participates in the Soil Health and Carbon Dynamics Topic Advisory Group, contributing to national soil monitoring discussions.
- British Society of Soil Science (BSSS)coreLong-standing collaboration to strengthen connectivity between soil research, policy development, and practical action. Includes policy-focused reflections, strategic messaging, and amplifying key themes from research for decision-makers.
- Government Departments (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland)coreWorkshop collaboration with policymakers from all four UK devolved administrations to map and evaluate soil-assessment-focussed research for policy delivery.
Scale indicators4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sustainable Soils competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- RSPB: UK's largest nature conservation charity with a substantial policy and advocacy function. Comparable convening power and parliamentary access at far greater scale, with overlapping interest in land-use policy that affects soil.
- The Wildlife Trusts: UK-wide federation of 46 wildlife trusts with significant policy advocacy capacity and a much larger membership base. Comparable environmental advocacy model and parliamentary access, though covering a far broader conservation remit than SSA.
Direct peers
- Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming: UK umbrella alliance advocating for better food and farming policies; an existing SSA network partner. Comparable convening model, coalition-building approach, and policy advocacy orientation across overlapping stakeholder groups.
- Soil Association: UK charity promoting sustainable and organic farming with a strong soil health focus; runs the organic certification scheme and engages in policy advocacy. Closest mission-comparable organisation to SSA within the UK, although larger and operating a certification-driven revenue model.
- Green Alliance: Independent UK environmental think tank that produces policy analysis and convenes government, business, and NGOs. Comparable advocacy and thought-leadership operating model in UK environmental policy, with a broader environmental remit.
- Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN): UK farmer-led network promoting nature-friendly farming, with soil health as a core pillar. An existing SSA network partner with comparable mission overlap in sustainable soil management, particularly on the farmer-engagement side.
- Landworkers' Alliance: UK member-led union of small-scale farmers and landworkers advocating agroecological practice, including soil health. Comparable mission orientation and advocacy approach, focused on grassroots farmer voices in policy debates.
- British Society of Soil Science (BSSS): UK professional society advancing soil science with a growing policy engagement remit. Already a strategic collaboration partner of SSA, the two share the soil-specific mission space and overlapping researcher and policymaker audiences.
Emerging players
- ClientEarth: UK-headquartered environmental law charity using legal action and policy engagement to drive environmental outcomes. Comparable environmental advocacy mission, with a different primary mechanism (legal) and larger international footprint.
- Soil Health Institute: US-based non-profit focused on soil health research, measurement, and policy engagement. Closely comparable mission (soil health as a public good, measurement standards, farmer engagement), though operating in a different geography with a research-led rather than advocacy-led model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sustainable Soils social profiles
Digital presenceSustainable Soils financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sustainable Soils leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Sustainable Soils funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sustainable Soils M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sustainable Soils
What does Sustainable Soils do?
The Sustainable Soils Alliance designs and campaigns for soil-related policies in the UK, convening policy-makers, businesses, NGOs, researchers, and farmers. It produces policy research outputs, evaluation frameworks, consultation responses, and collaborative programs that advocate for the regulations, incentives, monitoring standards, and nature markets needed to protect and restore UK soils within a generation.
Is Sustainable Soils a public or private company?
Sustainable Soils is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sustainable Soils founded?
Sustainable Soils was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
How does Sustainable Soils make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Membership.
Who are Sustainable Soils's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are RSPB and The Wildlife Trusts. Direct peers are Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming, Soil Association, Green Alliance, Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN), Landworkers' Alliance and British Society of Soil Science (BSSS). Emerging players are ClientEarth and Soil Health Institute.
Does Sustainable Soils have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sustainable Soils.
What industry is Sustainable Soils in?
Sustainable Soils's product category is Environmental Policy Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAI, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems, with a secondary code of BPAGAGAF, Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation.