42.1 The Company shall maintain or improve the quantity and quality of the soil at the Project Area as at the Effective Date, [as established by the Environmental Audit provided for in Section 45.5] and shall manage and mitigate erosion and negative impacts on soil salinity, organic carbon, and nutrient levels [including through the use of the following agroecological farming practices, which shall be further detailed in the ESMP] [select as appropriate for the project]:

(a) low to zero tillage

(b) use of cover crops

(c) crop rotation

(d) intercropping and multi-cropping

(e) [insert other regenerative agricultural practice/s as appropriate for the Project]

42.2 The Company shall at all times monitor the soil at the Project Area for the following (the Soil Quality Indicators):

(a) organic carbon

(b) total nitrogen

(c) total phosphorus

(d) total potassium

(e) electrical conductivity

(f) potential of hydrogen (pH)

(g) bulk density

(h) soil depth

(i) [insert other as applicable to the Project.]

42.3 The Company shall report annually on the Soil Quality Indicators and where such report reveals a decline in any parameter of soil quality, the Company shall outline the measures it shall take to improve the quality of the soil.

For more information: See generally IISD, 2014, Section 9.4 (Soil Management); ISLP & CCSI, 2016, Section 2.12.4 (Land Degradation); UNIDROIT & IFAD, 2021, Section 4.116. (Preventing Soil Degradation).