Minimize soil sealing.

 Land conversion and subsequent soil sealing for settlements and infrastructure affect all soils, but are of particular concern on productive, arable soils because of their importance for food production and food security and nutrition, and circular economy targets. In many places, urban sprawl affects the most productive soils adjacent to the cities and settlements. Soil sealing and land conversion causes a largely irreversible loss of some or all soil functions and the ecosystem services they provide. • Considering the total value of soils and to ensure the preservation of productive, arable soils, existing policies, relevant laws and land use planning procedures for the development of settlements and infrastructure should be reviewed as appropriate; • Where policy and legislation aim to minimize land conversion, measures should be implemented to encourage densification and re-use of existing urban or industrial areas such as abandoned areas and brownfields, and restoring degraded neighbourhoods after appropriate reclamation measures have been implemented. Ecological restoration of quarries and mining sites should be encouraged; and • Soils with significant ecosystem services including high soil carbon stocks, high biological diversity or high agricultural suitability should be protected from land conversion for settlements and infrastructure by special legislation.