France has a wide variety of soil types mainly due to the geological and climatic diversity of the land. Soil quality at a chemical and physical level is to some extent responsible for the differentiation of natural regions as they appear today and it has always determined the land use pattern particular to each region. Land layout, however, has evolved constantly, especially through the actions of man. During this half of the XXth century, the transformation of agricultural methods has been accompanied by large-scale land use development such as land reclamation and consolidation. Since the beginning of the XIXth century, the amount of land covered by forests has increased thanks to the reforestation of marginal zones. In cropped soil, fertilization has overcome problems of natural soil nutrient depletion, whereas in forestland acidification is on the increase and can lead to soil deficiences. Yet, the overapplication of fertilizers poses another problem as intensive indoor production runs the risk of contaminating the hydrographic network. Soil degradation is taking on new forms as arable crops in regions with little marked topography are subject to erosion. Particle movement and even phytosanitary products from cropped plots contaminate downstream water and coastal areas. High crop yields have modified the water cycle and drained soil water reserves. Supplementary irrigation is becoming commonplace even in northern areas. No one really knows what the long-term consequences for the soil and groundwater will be. The notion of soil quality has evolved, bringing about changes in land development and landscape differentiation. In the future, the question of soil quality should be a key element in any considerations on how the soil should be managed in a sustainable agriculture, which respects the environment.