The SOILCRATES 4th General Assembly and Interregional Learning Event brought project partners, farmers, researchers and stakeholders together in Limerick for an inspiring week of collaboration, field learning and shared action for healthier soils.

Hosted in Ireland from 18–21 May 2026, the week welcomed participants from across the SOILCRATES consortium, including partners and stakeholders from Ireland, the Netherlands, France and Spain. The gathering created an important opportunity to strengthen connections across the Living Labs, exchange practical experiences, and align the project’s next steps in support of sustainable soil management.

The week opened with opportunities for partners to reconnect and set the tone for the days ahead. Alongside the General Assembly programme, the Irish Living Lab also held a Governance Model Co-Creation Session at LSAD TUS George’s Quay in Limerick. This session invited farmers, community representatives, researchers and stakeholders to help shape how the SOILCRATES-Ireland Living Lab should be organised, how decisions can be made collectively, and how participants can remain meaningfully involved.

A major highlight of the Assembly was a full day of field visits across the Irish Living Lab. Participants split into two groups to visit local farms and project partners, meeting farmers directly and seeing how soil health practices are being explored in real farming contexts. Route 1 visited Loop Head, Pat Liddane, Kraken Seeds and Eoin Hennessy, with discussions around soil structure, biochar, deep-rooting multispecies crops, circular agriculture and farmer-led innovation. Route 2 visited Jim O’Donnell, Sean O’Farrell, Maurice Deasy and Cloughjordan Community Farm, exploring marine-based soil enhancers, compost, microbial biostimulants, grassland soil fertility and community-based farming models.

These visits reflected the core ambition of SOILCRATES: bringing farmers, researchers, communities and local partners together to co-create practical, place-based solutions that improve soil health, biodiversity, climate resilience and long-term farm sustainability. They also provided a valuable space for partners to hear directly from farmers about their experiences, challenges and motivations.

The General Assembly sessions continued with project updates, technical workshops and strategic discussions focused on the development of the SOILCRATES Living Labs. Partners explored the lifecycle of Living Labs, soil data activities, ethics in Living Labs, stakeholder engagement, peer-to-peer learning, soil health practices and indicators, and progress across the project’s work packages. Dedicated sessions led by AUEB/VHL and Amphos 21 also examined tools and approaches for improving data quality, integration and usability across the project.

On the final day, discussions turned towards long-term impact. Partners worked on communicating more effectively with stakeholders and farming communities, supporting the exploitation of project results, involving governments and public authorities in each Living Lab, and reflecting on the Financial Support to Third Parties process. The Assembly also highlighted that 52 pilot projects are now being supported across France, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain. A keynote session by Dr Yuhang Ye from Technological University of the Shannon opened further discussion on the role of AI in soil health, agriculture, research and decision-making.

The Assembly concluded with feedback from the SOILCRATES Advisory Board, closing reflections and networking. Across the week, partners reinforced a shared commitment to turning Living Lab experiences, project results and field-based knowledge into practical outcomes for healthier soils and more resilient farming systems across Europe.

A warm thank you goes to Technological University of the Shannon, TUS Sustainable Development Research Institute, Ballyhoura Development, the Irish Living Lab partners, participating farmers, advisors and all consortium members who contributed to a productive and energising week in Limerick.

Read the full press release here.