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The quality of soil and its suitability for growing crops has been important since humans  developed agriculture. Back in 1888, Rhizobium spp. were found living in the roots of leguminous plants; first suggesting the importance of soil microbes. It is now known that soil microbiomes are diverse communities with complex interactions, made up of a vast array of bacteria, fungi, archaea, protists and viruses, which are crucial for carbon and nutrient cycling, plant health and even soil structure.

The August 2018 issue of Microbiology Today focuses on the use of microbes and the roles they can play in food.

Microbiology is vital to preserve a sustainable, safe and secure food supply.

Food-borne pathogens are a major threat to food safety. Most food-borne illness is caused by infection by microbial pathogens that have entered the food chain at some point from farm to fork. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that food-borne and water-borne diarrhoeal diseases together kill around 2.2 million people annually.

The Position Statement argues that microbiological research is vital in safeguarding our supplies of nutritious, safe and abundant food.

The August 2010 issue of Microbiology Today focuses on microbes involved in and affecting food.

Most strains of Escherichia coli are harmless. However, some produce powerful toxins that can cause serious illness. Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) has caused a number of outbreaks of food poisoning in the UK.

The August 2007 issue of Microbiology Today focuses on the effects of microbes on the life sources, food and water.

The February 2002 issue of Microbiology Today focuses on food microbiology. You are what you eat, and as most foods are closely associated with microbes in some way, either in their production, spoilage or as vehicles of disease, food microbiology is highly relevant to all our lives.