To save the soil, save the farmers: Social and environmental pressures on agricultural soils

Soil degradation threatens food security and rural livelihoods worldwide, particularly in Nepal’s Terai, a key cereal-producing region. Despite welcome policy attention, soil degradation is primarily framed as one of mismanagement, with training and technology prioritised as solutions. However, this narrow, technicist perspective overlooks the broader context affecting farmers’ decisions. Drawing on political ecology, this study explores how farmers and agricultural advisors in Nepal’s Terai perceive and respond to the socio-environmental pressures influencing soil management. Forty-eight interviews and a socio-demographic survey were conducted in Rupandehi district between March and May 2024 and analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. This study argues that soil degradation is not just an environmental issue but also a social justice issue rooted in unequal power, access to resources, and viable management options. While many farmers draw on deep-rooted cultural beliefs and experiential knowledge to guide soil management, rapid socio-environmental change and immediate survival needs are pushing them toward practices that can harm the soil. Environmental disruption, shifting household labour dynamics, fragmented landholdings, insecure access to agricultural inputs and finance, social exclusion, gendered inequalities, and institutional failures – including corruption and patronage – are perceived to constrain soil management decisions. Advisors shared partial awareness of these limitations but often underestimated their impact. These findings indicate that soil degradation will not be addressed through technical measures alone. Policies must extend beyond training and technology to tackle structural inequalities, enhance accountability in agricultural governance, and support more socially sensitive strategies that reflect the realities of farmers and the advisors working with them.