From soil health to food quality: a review of microbiome-mediated interactions across the soil-plant-food continuum

Abstract

The soil microbiome is fundamental to soil health in agroecosystems, regulating primary productivity and nutrient cycling. Growing evidence indicates that it also mediates food quality traits, including sensory attributes, secondary metabolites, and nutritional content. In this review, we synthesize current knowledge on microbiome-mediated links between soil health and food quality and evaluate agricultural management strategies that can improve both simultaneously. We identify key research gaps and priorities needed to establish mechanistic pathways, improve field translation, and advance microbiomeinformed approaches for sustainable agri-food systems. Collectively, the evidence supports a conceptual framework in which food quality is viewed as an ecological outcome of microbiome-mediated soil health and functioning. We propose that the soil microbiome acts as a mechanistic bridge linking agricultural management, soil health, and crop performance to food quality. We argue that food quality should be explicitly integrated into the existing agri-food framework, focused on productivity, soil health, and greenhouse gas mitigation.