Soils are at the very base of our food production. Today, soils globally provide ample food for 7 billion people, although supplies are unevenly distributed: against 1 billion underfed people there are over 1 billion obese. Since hunger is associated with poor soils, food security is addressed through soil amelioration (next to other plant husbandry measures and an enabling socio-economic setting). To feed 9 billion people by 2050, conventional techniques won't do as we may run out of soils.  Additionally, non-food uses within a bio-based economy should be accommodated in decades to come. Against this background degradation of our soil base, climate change and a deteriorating biodiversity need to be addressed. This calls for innovative solutions to sustainably secure food for all.