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Li ingSoiLL Fac Shee
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Abou Li ingSoiLL
The Li ingSoiLL p ojec is a Ho izon Eu ope p ojec ha is unded by he Eu opean
Commission wi hin he amewo k o he EU mission “A Soil Deal o Eu ope”.
• Du a ion: 54 mon hs (June 2024 – No embe 2028)
• P og amme: Ho izon Eu ope (P ojec ID: 101157502)
• Coun ies in ol ed: Po ugal, F ance, Spain, I aly, Poland, and Belgium.
• Pa ne s in ol ed: 49
Why I Ma e s
• Soil deg ada ion is one o he bigges en i onmen al h ea s in Eu ope.
• Heal hy soils a e essen ial o ood secu i y, biodi e si y, and clima e esilience.
• Li ingSoiLL suppo s he EU G een Deal and he EU Soil Mission (Call:
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01; Topic: HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-08)
A heal hy soil is a he hea o he Eu opean G een Deal and is one o he main
objec i es o he Soil Mission. The Eu opean Union is cu en ly igh ing agains soil
deg ada ion, which is undeniably linked o he in ensi ica ion o ag icul u e. To
add ess his, i is essen ial o p omo e a new pa adigm o soil managemen ,
ocused on moni o ing, es o a ion, and p o ec ion, ha encou ages s a egic
and coo dina ed ac ion be ween a me s, scien is s, businesses, policymake s,
and ci izens.
How i wo ks
To add ess soil deg ada ion and p omo e sus ainable managemen p ac ices,
he Li ingSoiLL p ojec - Heal hy Soil o Pe manen C ops Li ing Labs aims o
implemen 5 Li ing Labs (LL) in Po ugal, F ance, Spain, I aly, and Poland, ocused
on pe manen c ops ( ineya ds, oli e g o es, ches nu s, hazelnu s, and apple
o cha ds). The p ojec will include a leas 50 expe imen al si es (EXPS) in eal-wo ld
con ex s and 10 "ligh house" a ms, wi h he ac i e pa icipa ion o o e 2,000 local
ac o s.
Li ingSoiLL b ings oge he a me s, scien is s, companies, policymake s, and
ci izens o es o e soil heal h in pe manen c ops – ensu ing esilien ag icul u e,
ood secu i y, and clima e ac ion.
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The goal is o imp o e soil heal h and p omo e ecosys em se ices
h ough he co-c ea ion, co-implemen a ion, and co- es ing o inno a i e
solu ions (including digi al solu ions) o educe e osion, imp o e soil s uc u e,
dec ease he impac s o in ensi e e ilize and pes icide use, and inc ease
wa e e en ion capaci y, while p omo ing soil biodi e si y and o e all
esilience.
The esea ch aspec o he p ojec will ocus on he co-de elopmen o
inno a i e moni o ing me hods designed o p o ide da a ha enable a be e
unde s anding o soil heal h, as well as es ing he applica ion o inno a i e soil
managemen p ac ices o enhance soil heal h in he Expe imen al Si es (EXPS).
This app oach, applied o c ops in eal-wo ld con ex s, engages a me s,
ag icul u al consul an s, and local communi ies, acili a ing he ans e o scien i ic
knowledge h ough spaces o sha ing expe iences and bes p ac ices in soil
managemen . Fu he mo e, he p ojec aims o p oduce policy ecommenda ions on
bes soil managemen p ac ices o pe manen c ops o add ess a ious soil
challenges, while also p omo ing o he indica o s o soil heal h.
Key Figu es
• 5 Li ing Labs (LLs) ac oss Eu ope (Po ugal, F ance, Spain, I aly, and Poland)
• 5 Pe manen C ops ac oss Li ing Labs ( ineya ds, oli e g o es, ches nu
ees, hazelnu ees, apple o cha ds)
• 50+ Expe imen al Si es in eal ag icul u al con ex s
• 10 Ligh houses as models o excellence
• 2,000+ local ac o s di ec ly engaged ( a me s, ad iso s, companies,
policymake s, ci izens)
Speci ic Objec i es
SO1 - Con ibu e o he in ol emen o se e al ac o s/s akeholde s in a collabo a i e
mul i-ac o ne wo k o co-design, co-de elop, and co-implemen solu ions o
es o ing soil heal h.
SO2 - Reduce he gap be ween knowledge and p ac ice h ough he implemen a ion
o 5 LLs o seek p ac ical inno a i e solu ions o he iden i ied p oblems.
SO3 - Iden i y and esea ch LLs soil heal h p oblems while co-c ea ing a common
ac ion plan.
SO4 - To es and alida e a combina ion o in eg a ed solu ions o upda ing and
imp o ing Soil Managemen s a egies in pe manen c ops
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SO5 - To es and alida e a combina ion o in eg a ed solu ions o ensu ing he
sus ainabili y o he LL h ough he c ea ion o economic business models.
SO6 - Imp o e knowledge and inc ease li e acy on soil and sus ainable managemen
p ac ices among a me s and he o e all communi y.
SO7 - Engage and coope a e wi h o he p ojec s and ini ia i es, con ibu ing o aising
awa eness o Mission Soil.
SO8 - P opose policy ecommenda ions on bes managemen p ac ices o be
implemen ed on soil use o pe manen c ops o educe e osion while p omo ing
o he soil heal h indica o s.
Cla i ica ion o he 3 key concep s
Li ing Labs (LLs)
A Li ing Lab, as de ined by he Mission Soil, is a a me -cen e ed collabo a i e
inno a ion ecosys em ha os e s co-c ea ion, expe imen a ion, and alida ion o soil
managemen solu ions in eal-li e se ings. I uni es companies, uni e si ies, ci izens,
and public en i ies in a quad uple helix app oach, engaging a me s om p oblem
de ini ion o solu ion es ing. This enables eal-wo ld expe imen a ion o p ac ices,
echnologies, and se ices ha enhance soil heal h while suppo ing business model
de elopmen and ag icul u al policy adap a ion.
I s mission is o:
• P omo e soil heal h h ough inno a i e ag icul u al p ac ices.
• Connec a me s, esea che s, companies, and local communi ies o es
sus ainable soil managemen solu ions.
• Co-c ea e echnologies, business models, and con ibu e o he adap a ion o
public policies ha ensu e soil heal h and ood secu i y.
Expe imen al Si es (EXPS)
An expe imen al si e is a a m o ag icul u al plo whe e inno a i e, sus ainable soil
managemen p ac ices a e es ed in eal-li e condi ions o assess hei impac on soil
heal h and c ops. Solu ions a e designed o add ess speci ic soil challenges, and hei
impac is moni o ed h ough soil heal h indica o s and o he ele an da a. The
selec ion o solu ions, expe imen al design, and moni o ing amewo k is co-c ea ed
wi h a me s, echnology and se ice p o ide s, ins i u ional ac o s, and end-use s,
and ailo ed o local condi ions.
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Main ea u es o an EXPS:
• I mus be in eg a ed in o an LL and no unc ion independen ly.
• I allows con olled expe imen a ion, bu unde eal p oduc ion condi ions.
• I p oduces scien i ic and p ac ical da a on he e ec i eness o he es ed
p ac ices.
• I se es o alida e, adap , and e ine solu ions be o e hei dissemina ion.
Ligh houses (LHs)
Ligh houses a e e e ence si es ha ha e es ed, alida ed, and adop ed sus ainable
solu ions o soil challenges. They se e as inspi ing models, ca alys s o bes
p ac ices, and key poin s o demons a ion, aining, and communica ion on soil
heal h. The goal is o all expe imen al si es o s i e o Ligh house pe o mance,
demons a ing he p ac ical applica ion o inno a i e soil solu ions.
Rela ionship be ween he h ee concep s:
• Li ing Labs (LLs) → Collabo a i e inno a ion ecosys ems whe e soil
challenges, solu ions o be es ed, and expe imen a ion me hodologies a e
de ined, in ol ing mul iple ac o s, e i o ies, policies, and communi ies.
• Expe imen al Si es (EXPS) → Speci ic loca ions wi hin LLs whe e
expe imen a ion occu s and echniques, echnologies, o app oaches a e
es ed unde eal p oduc ion condi ions, enabling p ac ical assessmen o
solu ions.
• Ligh houses (LHs) → Re e ence si es ha al eady implemen good p ac ices
in a consolida ed way, se ing as models and inspi a ion o o he expe imen al
si es o a me s o be eplica ed.
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Li ing Labs
Li ing Lab Ac i i ies
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Ta ge G oups o be in ol ed
The i e LLs will unc ion as pa icipa o y inno a ion ecosys ems, in eg a ing
businesses, uni e si ies, public adminis a ions, and ci izens in a mul i-ac o app oach.
Expec ed Ou comes
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Conso ium
The conso ium was designed o ensu e a b oad Eu opean geog aphical co e age,
encompassing 6 Membe S a es (Po ugal, Spain, F ance, I aly, Poland, and Belgium).
I b ings oge he a di e se ange o o ganiza ions (49 pa ne s) ha ul il
complemen a y oles, including a me s’ o ganiza ions, applied esea ch ins i u ions,
academic esea ch ins i u ions in soil and en i onmen al sciences, policy and
inno a ion suppo o ganiza ions, and echnology p o ide s. This mul idisciplina y
s uc u e enables Li ingSoiLL o add ess soil heal h challenges ac oss di e en
Eu opean egions while os e ing knowledge exchange and p ac ical solu ions.
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Fo mo e in o ma ion
Wan o ge access o he la es p ess eleases and news abou Li ingSoiLL?
h ps://li ingsoill.eu/news-e en s/
Websi e:
h ps://li ingsoill.eu/
Li ingSoiLL P ojec Coo dina o :
C is ina Ca los | UTAD – CITAB [email p o ec ed]
Li ing Lab leade s:
Luso-Galician Li ing Lab
Leono Pe ei a | UTAD – CITAB | leope ei a@u ad.p
Andalusian Li ing Lab
Juan Ju ado | UJAEN | jju [email protected]
No h-wes e n I aly – Piemon e Li ing Lab
Eleono a Boni ácio | UNITO | [email p o ec ed]
Loi e Valley and Beaujolais Li ing Lab
Da id La ond | IFV | da id.la ond@ igne in.com
G ójec Li ing Lab
Józe Chojnicki | WULS | joze [email p o ec ed]
Funded by he Eu opean Union. Views and opinions exp essed a e howe e hose o he au ho (s) only and do no necessa ily e lec hose o he
Eu opean Union o he Eu opean Resea ch Execu i e Agency (REA). Nei he he Eu opean Union no he g an ing au ho i y can be held esponsible
o hem.
