Ethical aspects of soil quality

Soil is defined as a non-renewable natural resource, since the processes of its degradation have been so accelerated in the past decades that they by far exceed the speed of pedogenic processes. By the 1990s, soil was mainly studied from the aspect of productivity, after which the focus moved in the direction of preservation of its functions for the purpose of providing ecosystem services. Soil quality assessment plays a major role in deciding on the land use. With the increase in human population and urbanization land has become a limited resource and a deficient "commodity" (Acuña et al., 2015). Therefore, human society, which is not the only party involved in the use and share of that space on Earth, has to address the problems of degradation caused by human activities and the nature of relating dynamics. This natural wealth that is entrusted to us for care requires a moral obligation, not only because of our interest, but also because of the soil itself, since people are morally responsible for its condition (Jonas, 2004). It also means searching, not only for the well-being of humans, but for the benefit of all other communities for which the care for soil and its inhabitants has to be included in the concept of the human wealth. Ethical responsibility, in terms of care for arable land, is, above all, not a technical issue concerning farmers, agronomists and soil scientists. Looking for the humanistic perspective, Arnold (2007) emphasizes that soil science is at the same time in the field of ecology and economics. However, in addition to ethics, which is an important moderator of soil conservation efforts by the power of its principles, many aspects of other sciences play an important role in highlighting the true importance of soil science. We are warned of future problems in a statement that "if the preservation and rational use of soil resources are not significant enough for societies in the next few decades," then irrational use can lead to a "tragedy of the commons"; if, however, this compromise is focused on planetary sustainability, then we get a golden opportunity to convey the knowledge and wisdom of soil science. The aim of this paper is to point out the importance of soil quality assessment for making decisions on the use of land according to the concept of soil security and the respect of moral principles. This further imposes numerous questions: How far can the inadequate use of soil be justified and what can justify it besides the belief that it is necessary to provide enough food for the growing human population? Can the acquisition of profit justify different anthropogenic pressures that cause soil degradation?