HORIZON EUROPE Project NBSoil: Nature-based solutions for soil management
- Type Project
- Status In progress
- Execution 2022 -2026
- Assigned Budget 4.688.807,00 €
- Scope Europeo
- Autonomous community Castilla - La Mancha; Cataluña; País Vasco
- Main source of financing Horizon Europe 2021-2027
- Project website Web del proyecto NBSoil
Soil degradation is a global problem. Unfortunately, it is estimated that more than 90% of all soils could be degraded by 2050. Nature-based solutions can support soil health. The EU-funded NBSoil project will design a blended learning program to integrate knowledge and help soil advisors implement a holistic view of soil health. Specifically, the project will focus on six multifunctional categories: locally available organic fertilizers from bio-waste, cover crops, paludiculture, forest diversification, bioremediation, and blue-green infrastructure in urban and peri-urban areas. An estimated 300 participants from eight EU countries are expected to complete the two-year training program (an introductory online course and four advanced modules) offered by the project.
The ambition of the NBSOIL project is to develop a training program for soil advisors that will facilitate better soil management across different land use types and sectors. In the first 18 months of the project, considerable effort was dedicated to prototyping the Soil Academy. Activities began by exploring existing knowledge resources to develop a 6-hour MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) to increase soil literacy and engage both new and existing soil advisors. The concept and content of the Academy were developed through a co-creation process. Separate Academy co-creation workshops, one for each module, involved a group of 50 experts who contributed to the preliminary design of the module content.
The overall structure of the Academy has been developed to consist of 4 modules:
- Module 1 – Soil and nature-based solutions.
- Module 2 – Facilitation of life laboratories in soil health.
- Module 3 – Digital tools for monitoring and mapping soil health.
- Module 4 - Improving land-related decision-making in business and policy) and 3 levels in each module.
The learning content for Module 1 has been developed and transferred to the Moodle platform. The Academy launch webinar was scheduled for June 6, 2024, as one of the project milestones.
Most of the other activities supported the Soil Academy in accordance with the working concept adopted in the NBSOIL project.
Key steps included the integration and provision of initial versions of the knowledge base on Natural Soil Behavior (NSB) and approaches for modeling soil parameters. Test centers in partner countries, representing a wide variety of land use types and tested NBS, are used to utilize existing data and generate new data through novel measurements, in order to better understand and visualize knowledge about the effects of NBS on soil health. A first version of a soil health index tool based on individual parameters has been developed. A major effort was also dedicated to developing a first version of the Soil Screening Manual. Soil consultancy business models in six countries have been analyzed, and a draft soil business case framework has been developed. The key achievement was the initial version of the Policy Navigator and Briefs, which provided a comprehensive overview of policy instruments influencing soil health at the European level.
NBSOIL (Nature-Based Solutions for Soil Management) is a four-year project coordinated by the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation (PL). Its overall objective is to design an engaging blended learning program that enables soil advisors to implement a holistic view of soil health through Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and collaborate effectively across different temporal and spatial scales.
NBSOIL focuses on six multifunctional categories of Natural Soil Management (NSM) to develop a holistic approach to land management and soil health, fully aligned with the IUCN Global Standard for NSM (IUCN, 2020): organic fertilizers from locally available bio-waste, cover crops, paludiculture, forest diversification, bioremediation, and blue-green infrastructure in urban and peri-urban areas. NBSOIL builds on previous research findings and available open-source technology to offer the following thematic packages: Knowledge Base, Academy, Soil Health Assessment, Monitoring and Mapping Resources, Policy Navigator, and Marketplace.
Approximately 300 participants from eight countries (PL, AT, CH, UK, FR, NL, IT, ES) are expected to complete the two-year training program offered in six languages (English, Polish, German, Dutch, French, Italian, and Spanish). The two-year program will provide an immersive, interactive, and flexible learning experience through an introductory Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), followed by four advanced modules: 1. Soil and Natural Soil Systems (NSS), 2. Facilitating Living Labs, 3. Digital Tools for Monitoring Soil Health, and 4. Improving Soil-Related Decision-Making in Business and Policy, and a final project.
The NBSOIL consortium will make a decisive contribution to achieving the Soil Health Mission by integrating NBS knowledge and advice for soil management, providing facilitators to Soil Health Living Labs, making soil monitoring and mapping technology user-friendly and inclusive, and integrating soil care into all land-related management and decision-making processes.
NBSOIL (Nature-Based Solutions for Soil Management) is a four-year project coordinated by the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation (PL). Its overall objective is to design an engaging blended learning program that enables soil advisors to implement a holistic view of soil health through Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and collaborate effectively across different temporal and spatial scales.
NBSOIL will focus on six multifunctional categories of Natural Soil Management (NSM) to develop a holistic approach to land management and soil health, fully aligned with the IUCN Global Standard for NSM (IUCN, 2020): organic fertilizers from locally available biowaste, cover crops, paludiculture, forest diversification, bioremediation, and blue-green infrastructure in urban and peri-urban areas. NBSOIL builds on previous research findings and available open-source technology to offer the following thematic packages: Knowledge Base, Academy, Soil Health Assessment, Monitoring and Mapping Resources, Policy Navigator, and Marketplace.
Approximately 300 participants from eight countries (PL, AT, CH, UK, FR, NL, IT, ES) are expected to complete the two-year training program offered in six languages (English, Polish, German, Dutch, French, Italian, and Spanish). The two-year program will provide an immersive, interactive, and flexible learning experience through an introductory Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), followed by four advanced modules: 1. Soil and Natural Soil Systems (NSS), 2. Facilitating Living Labs, 3. Digital Tools for Monitoring Soil Health, and 4. Improving Soil-Related Decision-Making in Business and Policy, and a final project.
The NBSOIL consortium will implement Impact and contribute decisively to achieving the Soil Health Mission by integrating NBS knowledge and advice for soil management, providing facilitators to Soil Health Living Labs, making soil monitoring and mapping technology easy to use and inclusive, and integrating soil care into all land-related management and decision-making processes.
NBSOIL aims to contribute to the Soil Mission's objectives through scientific developments and their social and economic impacts. Results that go beyond the cutting edge of the art are also crucial to the project's impact. NBSOIL focuses on generating and integrating existing knowledge about the effects of NBS on soil health, innovative soil health monitoring, the use of digital tools in soil testing and NBS, the development of business cases for soil consulting, and facilitating improved soil management across various land uses.
Regarding the integration of NBS recommendations into soil management, the scientific results of NBSOIL are included in the project's knowledge base and the Soil and NBS Handbook. The initial version of the knowledge base is a portfolio of NBS effects on soil health. The Soil and NBS Handbook is an initial set of 19 nature-based practices for different ecosystems. For each practice, its contribution to the IUCN NBS criteria is assessed to allow for a better understanding of the benefits of its application. The Soil Detection Handbook (initial version delivered in M18) is a compilation of scientific and practical knowledge on the use of detection in monitoring soil health and the effects of NBS implementation.
Learning Module 2 of the Soil Academy is designed to provide participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to facilitate the implementation of Living Laboratories and Lighthouses in their work; for example, understanding what they are, how to implement them, and how to evaluate and share results collected within a lighthouse. Providing knowledge of soil monitoring using digital and user-friendly techniques is a key element for the project's intended impact. Capacity building and skills enhancement for soil advisors with the appropriate tools will support wider adoption of Natural Soil Systems (NSS) and soil regeneration by all users, across all land uses.
NBSOIL follows Soil Mission's ambition to address soil health across all land management practices. Therefore, NBSOIL focuses on NBS categories beneficial to agricultural, forest, industrial, and urban lands, aligning with Soil Mission's objectives and going beyond current practices. Since all land-related decision-making must comply with existing regulations, the key tools for this strategy are the Policy Navigator and Reports.
- INSTYTUT UPRAWY NAWOZENIA I GLEBOZNAWSTWA, PANSTWOWY INSTYTUT BADAWCZY
- UICN, UNION INTERNATIONALE POUR LA CONSERVATION DE LA NATURE ET DE SES RESSOURCES
- FORSCHUNGSINSTITUT FÜR BIOLOGISCHEN LANDBAU STIFTUNG
- THE SOIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED
- UNIVERSITAET FÜER BODENKULTUR WIEN
- ASOCIACIÓN BC3 CENTRO VASCO PARA EL CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO - KLIMA ALDAKETA IKERGAI|AGRISAT IBERIA SL
- AGRISAT IBERIA SL
- ASSOCIACIO REVOLVE MEDITERRANEO
- CENTRUM DORADZTWA ROLNICZEGO W BRWINOWIE
- CENTRE NATIONAL D'AGROECOLOGIE
- INSTITUTO TECNICO AGRONOMICO PROVINCIAL SA
- LANDESKAMMER FÜR LAND UND FORTWIRTSCHAFT IN STEIERMARK
- ALCHEMIA-NOVA GMBH
- SIEC BADAWCZA LUKASIEWICZ-INSTYTUT LOTNICTWA
- UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TORINO
- COSIENDO A AERES GROEP
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