Land and soil resources are essential components of the natural asset base of the economy and of ecosystems. They are both a private property and a (global and local) common; they are critical for the production of food and other biomass, support recreational activities and, more generally, provide a physical foundation for all economic activity. The way land is used and managed influences everything in the environment. This ranges from biodiversity and ecosystem services (including erosion risk, flood protection, etc.) to soil, water and air quality, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.