Brussels to host Prepsoil project final event

The final event of the three-year initiative will be held on May 26. Dedicated to policymakers, researchers and professionals, the meeting will host four sessions focusing on key issues related to EU Mission Soil implementation

by Matteo Cavallito

 

Reiterating the crucial importance of policies to protect and restore soil health at the European level. But also to discuss how the goals of the Soil Mission and the incoming soil monitoring law can be sustained and implemented, also defining the role played in this regard by regional and local actors. These are the goals of the final event of the PREPSOIL project scheduled for May 26 in Brussels (click here for information and registration) that will call together stakeholders from all parts of the Continent.

Funded by the Horizon program, the initiative was launched in 2022 with an important goal: “to support the implementation of the Soil Mission by creating awareness and knowledge on soil needs among stakeholders in regions across Europe.”

A platform for knowledge sharing

“With soil degradation threatening ecosystems and food security, coordinated action at the regional level is more urgent than ever,” the event organizers explain. In this context, “The PREPSOIL Final Event will serve as a milestone in Europe’s efforts to achieve healthy soils by 2050, offering a platform for knowledge-sharing, strategic planning, and long-term collaboration.”

The meeting will include expert presentations and interactive panel discussions designed to provide the tools needed to participate in the co-creation of land protection and restoration initiatives.

The sessions, in particular, will explore the role of Living Labs-which, along with Lighthouse Farms, represent the main research and innovation facilities for land health-and the potential of community involvement to raise awareness and engagement among youth.

Opportunities, co-creation, engagement and training

Directed at policymakers, researchers and professionals involved in sustainable land management, the final event, in particular, offers four thematic sessions on the main aspects related to the implementation of the Mission. The first explores the opportunities for public authorities in the transposition of the Soil Monitoring Law to the land level, while the second explores the role of Living Labs as collaborative environments for co-creating knowledge and solutions.

The third session is devoted to civil society involvement with a focus on good practices in collective learning, the creation of a “community of practice” and access to information. Finally, the fourth addresses capacity building and training at the national level, highlighting the potential of national Mission Soil support groups and coordination centers to broaden stakeholder involvement.

Three Years of PREPSOIL

In its three years of activity, the PREPSOIL project has involved several partners including Re Soil Foundation. The initiative, in particular, has made it possible to improve basic knowledge on the issue by working together with innovation centers on the ground such as Living Labs and LightHouse Farms and reaching a wide audience including universities, citizens, students, teachers, soil monitoring agencies and civil society as a whole.

As part of the project, Re Soil Foundation contributed particularly to dissemination, communication, stakeholder engagement and identification of soil needs. As well as mapping innovative actors (including Lighthouse farms), monitoring and promoting education and knowledge.