Sustainable Soil Management Practices

Healthy soils are the foundation of resilient food systems, biodiversity, climate adaptation, and sustainable land use. Yet soil degradation, erosion, loss of organic carbon, compaction, and pollution continue to threaten ecosystem services and long-term productivity across Europe. In this context, the EU Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe" promotes the scaling of Living Labs and Lighthouses as practical, multi-actor ecosystems where solutions can be co-designed, tested, and adopted in real-life settings.

This event supports the establishment and development of Mission Soil Living Labs and helps prospective applicants prepare strong proposals for the 2026 funding opportunities dedicated to the setup of Mission Soil Living Labs. This online thematic engagement event focuses on sustainable soil management practices, aims aims to bridge scientific knowledge, practical implementation, and policy priorities, and - above all - help participants identify collaboration opportunities for consolidating consortia.

Objectives

The event aims to increase shared understanding of sustainable soil management practices and their role in achieving soil health targets by 2030, as well as showcase complementary perspectives on soil resilience and soil monitoring approaches relevant to Living Lab implementation. SOILL-Stepup intends to provide applicants with an overview of the current Mission Soil funding opportunities and the SOILL support services available to them. The engagement event aims to facilitate networking and consortium-consolidation through a structured pitching session.

Target audience

The event is primarily designed for stakeholders interested in applying to Mission Soil topics funding the establishment of Living Labs and Lighthouses. Regional and local authorities and public agencies working on land use, agriculture, environment, or climate action are thus welcome to join as researchers, universities, and applied research organisations. The event content will be of interst for land managers and advisory services (farmers, cooperatives, foresters, planners), but also SMEs, start-ups, and innovation providers offering soil-relevant solutions, as well as NGOs, networks, and associations supporting sustainable land management.

Value for participants

Participants will gain practical insights into key soil management approaches and how they translate into Living Lab action. They will also receive clear guidance on how SOILL supports applicants (through tools such as the Helpdesk and the B2Match matchmaking platform) and will have the opportunity to connect directly with potential partners.

Preliminary agenda (CET)