SMS

Soil health is vital for the delivery of food, energy, and biomaterials, as well as climate action, ecosystem services and biodiversity. Pressure on land and soil is growing due to competing demands for land and biobased products. A sustainable soil management that satisfies the increasing demand and avoids soil degradation requires coordinated R&I. This project will employ a multi-actor approach to create an effective framework for action in the wider area of soil health and land management by coordinating efforts and pooling resources, by developing a coherent portfolio of R&I activities and by identifying criteria for Living Labs and lighthouses to demonstrate solutions. The CSA will bring together the main players in soil health and management in a transdisciplinary approach. Planned activities include the analysis of the needs for R&I on soil and land management as expressed through stakeholder/citizen consultation and ongoing research projects, the identification of gaps, priority areas and types of action for intervention including Living Labs and lighthouses. The action fields sprawl from agriculture and forestry to spatial planning, land remediation, climate action, and disaster control. Outcomes and results will be - A stakeholder-based, co-created roadmap for R&I to support the Horizon Europe Mission in the area of Soil Health and Food. - Improved coordination with existing activities in Europe and globally, thereby raising visibility and effectiveness of R&I funding. - Identification of and learning from existing and potential Living Labs and lighthouses for testing and demonstrating solutions in order to simultaneously satisfy competing demands of soil use. With its activities, the CSA will support the EC and the Mission Board of the Horizon Europe Mission in the area of Soil Health and Food in delivering the objectives.