EU Mission: A Deal for Europe
As described by the European Commision, ‘life on Earth depends on healthy soils. Soil is the foundation of our food systems. It provides clean water and habitats for biodiversity while contributing to climate resilience. It supports our cultural heritage and landscapes and is the basis of our economy and prosperity’.
The EU Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, was established to lead the transition towards healthy soils by:
The mission has 8 key objectives to target for a transition toward healthy soils:
- Reduce desertification
- Conserve soil organic carbon stocks
- Stop soil sealing and increase re-use of urban soils
- Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration
- Prevent erosion
- Improve soil structure to enhance soil biodiversity
- Reduce the EU global footprint on soils
- Improve soil literacy in society
EU Mission: At the Core of SOILCRATES
Funded under the Soil Mission, SOILCRATES promotes actions to protect and restore soil health across Europe by delivering 4 sustainable and dynamic regional LLs that will be fully operational at the end of the project. In these LLs, lighthouses (LHs) will function as an example for 10-20 Experimental Sites (ESs). Actors from the quadruple helix will work together with land managers of the ESs to foster innovations and practices suited for the local context. Through co-creation processes such as co-design, co-development, co-implementation, co-assessment of problems and solutions, and colearning, the LLs will increase knowledge on soils and the underlying soil processes, make it available to the wider public and use it to further inform science, practices and policies to reduce pressures on soils. In addition to the LLs, SOILCRATES raises awareness of the critical importance of soil health through workshops, dedicated “Soils Week” events, and initiatives that enhance the soil literacy in society. With all partners intrinsically motivated to improve soil health in their region, willing to share local knowledge and eager to learn from other regions to fast-track the learning process, the project aligns with all related initiatives under the Mission.
