PREPSOIL

Presentation

Preparing the ground for healthy soils: building capacities for engagement, outreach and knowledge (PREPSOIL) supported the implementation of the EU Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe" by engaging actors, creating widespread awareness, and fostering knowledge sharing on the identification of soil needs among multiple stakeholders in 19 pedo-climatic regions across Europe.

The project was co-financed under the Horizon Europe Programme of the European Union, 2022–2025.

Awareness of soil health status and soil literacy were two fundamental steps to ensure healthy living systems in Europe and beyond. As the physical element upon which our lives depended—for food, water, and ecosystem services—the ground on which we built our cities and which sustained industrial activities, soil health held great importance for EU citizens, businesses, and institutions. With an estimated 60 to 70% of soils being unhealthy across Europe, PREPSOIL aimed to increase networking, knowledge exchange, and capacity building among European communities at regional and local levels through the nurturing of Soil Living Labs, Communities of Practice, and Soil Ambassadors. The activities of PREPSOIL embraced different land use types: agricultural land and productive forest, natural areas, urban zones, and post-industrial sites.

Activities

Through its expertise, ACR+ ensured the link between the project and local and regional authorities. It extended the coverage of the project by engaging organisations throughout Europe, ensuring a diversity of approaches and more inclusive results, encompassing both rural and urban areas through the involvement of its members. By drawing the attention of local and regional authorities across Europe, ACR+ raised awareness of the relevance of acting on soil health within the public debate.

Partners

PREPSOIL´ project leader was Aarhus Universitet (DK), and its project partners were:

  • ACR+, Association of Cities and Regions for sustainable Resource management (BE)
  • Stichting Wageningen Research (NL)
  • Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet (SE)
  • Institut National De Recherche Pour L'agriculture, L'alimentation Et L'environnement (FR)
  • Association de Coordination Technique Agricole (FR)
  • Nibio - Norsk Institutt For Biookonomi (NO)
  • Leibniz-Zentrum Fuer Agrarlandschaftsforschung (ZALF) e.V. (DE)
  • European Network Of Living Labs Ivzw (BE)
  • Lesprojekt Sluzby Sro (CZ)
  • Stichting Deltares (NL)
  • Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas (ES)
  • Instytut Uprawy Nawozenia I Gleboznawstwa, Panstwowy Instytut Badawczy (PL)
  • Comite Des Organisations Professionnelles Agricole De L Union Europeenne Copa Association De Fait (BE)
  • Fundacion Fundecyt - Parque Cientifico Y Tecnologico De Extremadura (ES)
  • Okologiai Mezogazdasagi Kutatointezet Kozhasznu Nonprofit Kft (HU)
  • Trust-It Srl (IT)
  • Commpla Srl (IT)
  • Re Soil Foundation (IT)

Project responsible(s)