A soil-centric approach is required to protect soils, to enable these soils to deliver their SES at edaphic maxima and thus support wider above and below-ground ecosystems. To protect Brazil’s wider natural capital, and that of other tropical countries, soil protection measures, such as the incorporation of SES in decision-making needs to be explicitly considered in environmental policy and laws.

Combining a SES approach with monetary and non-monetary valuation, and subsequently communicating it using a strategic plan, this paper proposes corridors of understanding about the value of soil and importance of adequate land management for biodiversity and goods provision for local and global population. Through such an approach, a range of stakeholders can be reached and mobilised to encourage sustainability of soil stewardship and to elevate appropriate management of soil resource on decision-makers’ agenda.