Assessment of the Interrelationships of Soil Nutrient Balances with the Agricultural Soil Emissions and Food Production

Abstract

Sustainable and adjusted soil management practices are crucial for soil quality, namely in terms of the nutrient budget. On the other hand, soil characteristics are interlinked with agricultural sustainability and food supply. In other words, soil quality influences agricultural performance and food chains, but it is also impacted by agricultural activities. In this context, this research aims to evaluate the spatial correlations of the soil nutrient balance around the world and analyse how this variable is interrelated with agricultural soil emissions, agricultural output, and food supply. To achieve these goals, data from the FAOSTAT database were considered. This statistical information was analysed with spatial autocorrelation approaches to identify spatial clusters around the world that can be considered as a basis for designing common policies. To perform panel data regressions to identify marginal effects between variables, data were first evaluated using correlation matrices and factor analysis. The results highlight that there is space for common strategies worldwide to preserve soil quality, as in some parts of the world the problems are similar. In these frameworks, the international organizations may have a determinant contribution.

Keywords

• spatial autocorrelation
• matrices of correlation
• factor analysis
• panel data regressions