The NBSOIL project took the stage on the second day of the European Mission Soil Week 2024. Marta Castillo from REVOLVE – NBSOIL project partner – presented the project to participants as part of the Mission Soil Project Trail. The presentation underlined the innovative approaches and commitment of the NBSOIL project to promote soil health and sustainable practices, highlighting the NBSOIL Academy as the main project outcome to date.
The second edition of Mission Soil Week, held in Brussels from 12-14 November, was a major gathering of the European soil community, including researchers, policy makers, land managers and civil society organisations dedicated to soil protection and restoration through innovation. The NBSOIL project – as a veteran Mission Soil project – had a strong presence throughout the event. During the opening sessions, keynote speakers Diego Canga Fano (Acting Deputy Director General and Director for Outreach, Research and Geographical Indications) and Kerstin Rosenow (Head of Unit, Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development) acknowledged the powerful work of NBSOIL in advancing soil health initiatives.
Mission Soil Week also focused on the launch of the first 25 Mission Soil Living Labs, comprising over 250 test sites across Europe. This achievement marks significant progress towards Mission Soil’s goal of establishing 100 Living Labs by 2030. These Living Labs are an integral part of five of the 50 ongoing soil-related research and innovation projects that are advancing sustainable practices in the field.
During the event, Mission Soil Ambassadors also shared their experiences and highlighted their commitment to protecting the environment and restoring soil health. Sessions explored the human-soil relationship from different perspectives, such as the interaction of architecture with natural landscapes and the role of art in raising awareness of soil health.
Beyond the plenary sessions, participants engaged in breakout sessions to discuss current research, identify gaps and provide input to the Horizon Europe work programme. Field visits were also organised to provide insights into sustainable land management in agriculture, remediation of polluted sites, sustainable forestry practices and innovative spatial planning approaches.
The NBSOIL project also participated in the third day, which focused on the Mission Soil project partners to brainstorm and discuss topics such as communication, stakeholder engagement, data management and soil monitoring, and to strengthen collaboration between the projects.
