This thesis investigates efficient, scalable methods for monitoring soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in agricultural soils in Saxony, Germany, in response to EU soil governance demands. It addresses limitations of the current SOC monitoring in three main parts. First, true-to-volume sampling using push cores can replace traditional soil ring sampling. Potential error sources and areas for compromise in laboratory analysis and calculation of organic carbon stocks are explored. Second, stepped thermal analysis was assessed for differentiation of two SOC fractions, offering insight into SOC composition without additional laboratory effort compared to total elemental analysis. Third, mid-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (mid-DRIFTS) was shown to accurately predict multiple soil properties using the custum-built regional soil spectral library. Mid-DRIFTS can augment laboratory workflows, offering quality control and gapfilling applications, and providing a digital (spectral) archive sample. Combining push core sampling, stepped thermal analysis, and mid-DRIFTS can enhance the effiency and accuracy of SOC monitoring in Saxony by shifting limited resources to relevant areas.