EU missions soil deal for Europe newsletter, special edition. Issue N 3, March 2024.
Date: 2024-03-12
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
Subjects: EU environmental policy, desertification, serial publication, soil pollution, soil protection, soil science

Read the online version | ISSN: 2811-7743 | Catalogue number: KF-AT-24-001-EN-N 

Issue N 3 

March 2024 

Welcome! 

We  are  pleased  to  present  you  with  a  summary  of  the  European  Mission  Soil 
Week,  a  pioneering event  held  in  Madrid  from  21  to  23  November  2023.  Due 
to  the  large  participation,  we  present  a  special  edition  of  the  Mission  Soil 
newsletter,  with  an  overview  of  the  event,  testimonials  and  links  to  the  main 
results. Look back with us at the highlights of what promises to be a key annual 
event for the European soil community! 

European Mission Soil Week 2023 

  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
The  European  Mission  Soil  Week  is  designated  to  become  an  annual 
gathering  for  the  European  soil  community.  It  brings  together  a  mosaic  of 
individuals,  from  researchers  to  business  leaders,  from  politicians  to  farmers, 
from land managers to landowners, foresters, and the general public. The first 
edition  was  organised  by  the European  Commission,  Directorate-General  for 
Agriculture  and  Rural  Development  (DG  AGRI)  in  collaboration  with  the  Joint 
Research  Centre  -  EU  Soil  Observatory  (EUSO),  together  with  the  EU  funded 
project PREPSOIL, and hosted by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) 
under the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU. 

The  first  edition  of  the  event  attracted  over  300  in-person  participants  from 
across  Europe  and  virtually  involved  600  more,  with  over  1.5  million 
interactions  on  major  social  media.  The  3-day  event  featured  a  series  of 
keynote  speeches,  plenary  and  breakout  sessions,  an  eye-catching  photo 
competition, an enlightening 'Meet the Projects' stand and more. 

With  92  speakers  sharing  their  insights,  experiences  and  suggestions,  the 
European  Mission  Soil  Week  showcased  the  latest  news  and  data  on  soil 
health, innovation and public engagement. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Plenary sessions 

The event featured a wide range of inspiring plenary sessions. It started with a 
keynote speech on the current state of European soils, providing the basis for 
subsequent discussions. 

Participants  gained  a  comprehensive  understanding  of  the  Mission  Soil 
through  an  in-depth  overview,  complemented  by  testimonials  from  land 
managers who shared first-hand experiences. They also had the opportunity to 
learn  about  the  regional  and  international  dimension  of  the  Mission  Soil  in 
detail. 

 
 
 
 
In  a  session  dedicated  to  the Mission  Soil  Manifesto,  the  Commission  called 
for  the  support  of  local  and  regional  authorities  and  highlighted  the  shared 
responsibility  among  the  different 
in  building  a 
sustainable  future  for  Europe.  The  narratives  of  Manifesto  Signatories  and 
Mission  Soil  Ambassadors  offered  personal  perspectives  that  enriched  our 
collective mission. 

levels  of  governance 

Another riveting keynote speech focused on the social, economic, and cultural 
transformations imperative for fostering soil health. 

Appreciation  for  the  significance  of  EUSO  was  cultivated,  revealing  key 
outcomes  from  its  working  groups  on  vital  aspects  like  soil  biodiversity, 
erosion,  pollution,  data  sharing  and  integration,  monitoring,  and  soil  carbon. 
The  presentations  encapsulated  the  wealth  of  knowledge  exchanged  during 
those sessions, shaping the transition towards healthy soils. 

In the links below you will find the presentation slides and full recordings from 
the plenary sessions: 

•  Day 1: View the presentation slides; watch the live recordings: 

Part 1 Welcome and opening; Setting the scene for the Mission Soil 
Part 2 The Mission Soil in a nutshell 
Part 3 Launch of the International Research Consortium on Soil 
Carbon; Mission Soil photo competition award ceremony 

 
 
 
 
•  Day 2: View the presentation slides; watch the live recordings: 

Part 1 Social, economic, and cultural transformations for soil health; 
PREPSOIL project: supporting the Mission Soil 
Part 2 The Mission's regional and local dimension; Mission 
Manifesto and Mission Ambassadors 

•  Day 3: View the presentation slides; watch the live recordings: 

Part 1 The EU Soil Observatory; Assessing soil health at different 
scales across Europe 
Part 2 Soil monitoring and indicators 
Part 3 Outcomes of the EUSO Working Groups; Closing ceremony  

Breakout sessions 

The breakout sessions allowed participants to take part in the most important 
debates around soils with like-minded individuals. Organised by policy leaders 
and  experts,  the  eight  breakout  sessions  tackled  the  latest  issues,  challenges 
and developments regarding soils in a truly collaborative and impactful way. A 
whole  host  of  topics  were  discussed,  including  issues  with  farming  practices, 
soil health for food, soil health for climate, business models for soil health, and 
much more! 

The event was a fantastic opportunity to learn, share and connect with experts 
and  individuals  passionate  about  soil  health.  Below  you  will  find  more 
information about the different breakout sessions and links to their respective 
keynote presentation slides. 

Soil health for climate 

The objective of the session was to discuss synergies and trade-offs, between 
carbon sequestration and other soil ecosystem services, identifying policy 
options for future EU carbon farming schemes. 

like  biodiversity  and  climate 
Participants  emphasised 
adaptation,  expressing  a  preference  for  a  practice-based  approach  in 
current carbon farming schemes. 

synergies 

Soil health for food 

Emphasising the link between healthy soil and food production, the discussion 
aimed to extend to the potential of waste valorisation as a key element in 

 
 
achieving a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system. 

The  participants  advocated  for  robust  policy  measures  as  another 
cornerstone,  emphasising  the  need  for  regulations  that  not  only 
encourage but actively incentivise sustainable farming practices. 

Farming practices for soil health 

This session explored the contribution of farming practices to maintaining, 
improving or re-establishing soil health, while triggering the provision of other 
ecosystem services. 

Among  other  conclusions,  the  session  highlighted  how  adopting  soil 
health  as  a  guiding  principle  in  farming  involves  assessing  farming 
practice  outputs  and  establishing  robust  monitoring  systems,  integrating 
soil monitoring and data collection. 

Soil needs in PREPSOIL regions: engaging with multiple actors 

This session was organised by the PREPSOIL project, and its objective was to 
inform the audience about the soil needs assessments performed by the project 
in regions covered by different land uses and to collect feedback from the 
audience for soil needs in other similar regions. 

The  session  highlighted  numerous  environmental  and  socio-economic 
challenges  in  the  project  regions  and  proposed  solutions  specific  to 
certain land uses: urban, forestry, agricultural, and mixed-land use. 

Knowledge transfer to farmers’ advisers 

The session covered several topics, including approaches to creating usable 
knowledge for (and with) farm advisers and addressing challenges of 
dissemination activities. 

Participants  discussed  how  the  Mission  Soil  could  improve  knowledge 
transfer to farm advisers, focusing on refining the structure and approach 
of projects for practical impact. 

Living Labs and other experiences from placed-based innovation 

The session addressed Living Labs (LLs) as the Mission’s main instrument 
foreseen to close the knowledge – practice divide, thereby spurring the uptake 

of beneficial practices and innovations for soil health across land uses. The 
objective was to introduce the general concept of Living labs with a focus on 
sectors relevant to the Mission, to present the state-of-play of implementation 
of Living Labs under the Mission including the supporting mechanisms that are 
in place and finally to present existing experiences that show some of the 
characteristics of LLs.  

Participants  emphasised  the need  to  collaborate.  Whether  engaging  with 
local  stakeholders,  bridging  the  gap  between  research  and  practice,  or 
navigating the complexities of urban projects, collective learning emerges 
as the strongest ally. The Mission Soil is not just a quest for healthier soils; 
it's a collective journey towards resilient soil management. 

Soil biodiversity 

The session demonstrated the vital role of ecosystem services provided by soil 
biodiversity, not only for global food security and agriculture, but also for water 
purification, climate stability and human health, as well as methods for 
measuring them.  

Speakers emphasised the need to consider both taxonomic and functional 
diversity,  align  conservation  practices  with  agriculture,  and  ensure 
economic viability. 

Business models for soil health 

The session aimed to shed light on the multi-faceted business cases for 
investing in soil health across different land uses. 

The importance of collaboration and sustainable business models, valuing 
ecosystem services in financial terms, and integrating soil health into core 
business strategies were key themes. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Photo Competition and exhibition 

The  Mission  Soil  Week 
three winners of the Mission Soil photo competition:  

included  a  special  award  ceremony  for  the 

Dominika Koszowska (Poland) with ‘Treasure under our feet’ (right), capturing 
the  contrast  between  plant  greenery  and  soil  brown; Sergio  Ibáñez  Pascual 
(Spain) with ‘Flowering vineyard soil’ (bottom left), highlighting cover crops for 
soil management, biodiversity promotion and erosion prevention; and Božidar 
Grgošić  (Croatia)  with  ‘Desperate  for  life’  (top  left),  with  a  photo  taken  after 
river floods, symbolising the soil's need for attention and recovery.  

A total of 12 photos were selected for capturing the importance and beauty of 
soil and displayed in an exhibition at the venue.  

Learn more about the photo competition winners.  

 
 
 
 
Meet the Projects (stand exhibition) 

The  event  featured  a  ‘Meet  the  Projects’  stand  exhibition,  which  gave 
participants  the  opportunity  to  meet  representatives  from  the  following 
Horizon  Europe  projects:  ORCaSa,  CREDIBLE,  HuMUS,  ECHO,  LOESS  and 
ISLANDR.  

The  exhibition  was  a  great  platform  for  participants  to  learn  first-hand  about 
what these projects are doing to raise awareness and improve soil health.   

In addition to the exhibition, information about the 28 Mission-funded projects 
was made available onsite and in the event catalogue. 

PREPSOIL poster exhibition 

 
 
 
As  part  of  the  event,  the  Mission  Soil-funded  project  PREPSOIL  organised  an 
exhibition  of  20  informative  posters  on  the  regional  soil  needs.  The  posters 
were created through a meticulous process that involved synthesising data and 
insights gathered from regional soil needs workshops held across 21 European 
regions.  

The posters are available on the PREPSOIL website. 

Outcomes from the event 

Event report 

Get  to  the  heart  of  the  discussions,  presentations,  reflections  and  ideas 
emerged during the European Mission Soil Week. 

Our event report offers a comprehensive summary of all plenary and breakout 
sessions.  Dive  in  and  get  an  insight  into  the  priorities  and  solutions  for 
improving soil health in Europe.  

 
  
 
 
 
Post event video 

Take a look at the best moments resulting from the three-day event, captured 
in  the  video:  images,  insights,  statistics, interviews  and  personal  testimonials 
from esteemed speakers. 

Find out what made the European Mission Soil Week special! 

Graphic recordings 

During  the  European  Mission  Soil  Week,  we  had  an  artist  creating  stunning 
visual  summaries  to  the  plenary  sessions,  discussions  and  presentations.  You 
can access the images on the Mission Soil website. 

 
 
 
 
 
  
Update on the Mission Soil Manifesto 

A growing community 

The  Mission  Soil  Manifesto  aims  to  foster  local  knowledge,  innovation,  and 
investment in soil health by raising awareness. Signatories of the Manifesto will 
be  able  to  join  a  vibrant  soil  health  advocacy  community  and  have  access  to 
the  latest  research  results,  along  with  the  opportunity  to  take  part  in 
knowledge sharing activities and events to exchange best practices on how to 
improve soil health in Europe and beyond. This non-legally binding document 
can  be  signed,  for  example,  by  representatives  of  municipalities,  regions, 
private  or  public  companies  and  organisations,  NGOs  and  philanthropic 
organisations, educational  and research institutions and by individuals as well. 
The  Manifesto,  available  in  all  EU  languages,  has  so  far  received  2  657 
signatures,  including  430  legal  entities,  publicly  visible  in  the  dedicated 
webpage.  To  sign  the  Manifesto  and  join  the  Mission  Soil  community,  click 
here! 

Meet one of the Mission Soil Manifesto Signatories 

We  asked  one  of  the  Mission  Soil  Manifesto  Signatories, María  Cruz  Ferreira 
Costa,  to  tell  us  more  about  why  it  is  important  for  municipalities  to  sign  the 
Mission  Soil  Manifesto.  Maria  Cruz  Ferreira  Costa  is  Director  General  of  the 
Regional Secretariat on Energy, Sustainability and Climate Action of the Region 
of Murcia, and an EU Climate Pact Ambassador. 

 
 
‘I believe that sustainable soil and land management are essential for supporting 
soil’s  function  and  its  vital  ecosystem  services,  including  food  supply,  water 
purification,  nutrient  cycling,  carbon  storage  and  support  to  biodiversity.  Soil 
plays a growing role for climate change mitigation and adaptation. 

I encourage municipalities from the region of Murcia and all European regions to 
be part of the solution. This is a crucial research and innovation programme with 
a strong social science component. 

By  signing  the  Mission  Soil  Manifesto,  you  can  all  help  develop  a  more 
harmonised framework for soil monitoring in Europe and raise awareness of the 
vital importance of soils.’ 

Event participants testimonies 

We are delighted to have received excellent feedback from our participants on 
all fronts – content, speakers, sessions and overall organisation. Here are just a 
few snippets from our feedback survey: 

‘It  was  interesting  in  scientific  content,  well  organized,  dynamic  and 
amusing!’ 

‘It  was  a  very  well-organised  event,  with  very  enlightening  talks  and  a 
very important overview of the mission.’ 

‘The  photo  competition  was  very  interesting  and  a  nice  way  to  engage 
citizens as well.’ 

 
 
  
 
Be  on  the  lookout  for  European  Mission  Soil  Week  2024!  Follow  the  Mission 
Soil  social  media  platforms  to  stay  updated  on  the  latest  news  and 
developments. 

You can also visit the Mission Soil Platform to stay on top of all our activities. 

This newsletter is published by the European Commission's Directorate General for Agriculture 
and Rural Development. 

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ISSN: : 2811-7743 | CATALOGUE NUMBER: KF-AT-24-001-EN-N