General Information Scientific and Technological Background
Soil is essential for life on Earth. The food we grow and eat, as well as products such as wood, textiles, and animal feed, are supplied through soil. Additionally, soil provides a range of ecosystem services, including clean water, biodiversity support, nutrient cycling, and climate regulation. Soil is a highly dynamic and sensitive resource, yet it is limited. The formation of just 1 cm of soil takes almost 1,000 years.
Soil is under pressure due to an increasing population demanding more land for production, settlements, and industry. Furthermore, rising sea levels, erosion, and climate change significantly affect soil health. Approximately 33% of the world’s soil is degraded, while erosion impacts 25% of agricultural land in the EU.
Action Zones (Optional)
The mission activities will integrate research and innovation, education, and advisory services, along with the use of "Living Labs" (experiments and innovation conducted in a real-world environment) and "Lighthouses" (sites demonstrating best practices) to showcase good practices for soil management.
The preparation phase began in November 2020, and as of 2021, the European Commission has launched calls for proposals. These calls, opened once a year, encourage the participation of all stakeholders with legal status.
Soil Mission Platform
A platform has been launched to provide comprehensive information on the Soil Mission, allowing stakeholders to access details on supported projects, research agendas, thematic groups, and Living Labs while fostering collaborations.
All stakeholders working on soil health can also join the "Soil Manifesto" as "soil-friendly" supporters of the mission.
You can access the Soil Mission Platform from here.
For more detailed information on the Soil Manifesto, click here.
Scope and Goals
The primary goal of this mission is to ensure that "by 2030, at least 75% of all soils in each EU country are healthy and capable of providing the essential services we depend on." In this context, the establishment of 100 Living Labs and Lighthouses across EU and associated countries by 2030 is planned.
The "Soil Health Mission" progresses towards 2030 through the following eight key objectives:
- Reducing desertification
- Preserving soil organic carbon stocks
- Preventing soil sealing and increasing the reuse of urban soils
- Reducing soil pollution and promoting restoration
- Preventing erosion
- Improving soil structure to enhance soil biodiversity
- Reducing the EU’s global soil footprint
- Increasing soil literacy in society
Call Information (Optional)
2024 Call
The 2024 Mission Calls opened for applications on April 24, 2024, and closed on September 18, 2024.
If you would like to review the relevant calls, you can access them via the official European Commission website, the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.
2025 Call
The European Commission is continuing its work on the Work Programme for the 2025 calls. The 2025 call is planned to open in May 2025, with preliminary and official announcements to be made on our website. Please don't forget to subscribe to our e-newsletter!
