Within the SOILCRATES Living Labs we perform several distinct soil health assessment and monitoring activities.

• Firstly, we contribute to the European Soil Observatory (EUSO) by performing a baseline monitoring of EU relevant soil health indicators in each of the four Living Labs.
• Secondly, we monitor and assess the effects of soil health practices on soil health, which are implemented as part of the pilot projects funded via the FSTP (financial support to third parties) funding scheme. This is a more scientific assessment approach.
• Thirdly, within SOILCRATES we develop a so-called farmers-toolbox to be used by the farmers in the pilot projects to perform their own monitor and assessment of the effect of the soil health practices.

For each of these assessment and monitoring activities, shared minimum indicator sets are developed to be used in each of the four sister Living Labs. As a starting point to develop the minimum indicator sets, in 2025 we first created a long list of soil health indicators. The longlist was established based both on the expert judgement and knowledge of the soil scientists within the SOILCRATES consortium and on a review on previous and other running projects from the Mission Soil of Horizon Europe. It should be noted that this long-list is not an exhaustive list of all possible soil health indicators and measurements. The indicators on the long-list were deemed specifically relevant for the SOILCRATES living labs and soil health in the context of sustainable agriculture in France, Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands. Table 1 shows the long-list of soil health indicators organised by category (organic matter, chemical, physical, biological) and associated ecosystem services.