H2020 EJP SOIL Project: Towards sustainable and climate-smart management of agricultural soils

The work carried out so far includes establishing and maintaining program governance, advisory bodies, and management structures. European-level inventories of soil quality indicators and associated decision-making tools were conducted; achievable soil carbon sequestration on agricultural land in the EU; the use of models for accounting and policy support; and harmonization methodologies for fertilization guidelines were developed.

A series of reports has also been developed on the impact of sustainable soil management practices in the EU; regional, national, and EU aspirations for soil services and functions; state of knowledge in agricultural soil management; current availability and use of soil knowledge; knowledge and use of citizen science across Europe; and impact of policies on agricultural land abandonment. A roadmap for soil research in Europe was developed, consulted with national stakeholders, and updated based on the synthesis of existing research, research needs, and gaps to serve as an agenda and implementation plan for the program and beyond, in close collaboration with the SOLO, PREPSOIL, ORCASA, and FACCE-JPI initiatives. The first, second, and third internal calls for internal research project proposals were launched in April 2020, April 2021, and April 2022, respectively, with 26 project proposals selected for funding as outcomes. The approved internal call 1 projects started in February 2021, the second and third internal call projects started in November 2021 and November 2022. Their research is being finalized and key research results are gradually being uploaded to the EJP SOIL website, for use in the WP activities of the EJP SOIL programs and beyond.

The first and second external calls for research project proposals were launched in April 2021 and April 2022, and concluded in September 2021 and September 2022, with a total of 19 proposals selected for funding. As part of its education and training activities, the program has finalized and shared the synthesis on the current state of European soil science in higher education and the prospective study for professional needs in soil science. The program also finalized the development of a joint curriculum for doctoral training, as well as the organization of thematic doctoral courses.

Several calls for applications for the Visiting Scientist Program were launched in 2021, 2022, and 2023. To facilitate the harmonization, organization, and storage of soil knowledge, an analysis of national regulations on soil data ownership in all partner countries was conducted to develop a policy that respects the legal rights of national data holders and supports soil data exchange in Europe. Reports on harmonized procedures for the creation of soil databases and maps, on national and EU regulations regarding agricultural soil data exchange and national monitoring activities, and the proposed methodological development for the LUCAS program, in accordance with national monitoring programs, were finalized based on JRC feedback. A software framework for a shared agricultural soil information system and guidelines for accounting and mapping changes in carbon, fertility, and degradation of agricultural soil at different scales have also been developed. The knowledge availability and needs identified during the four years of the EJP SOIL were synthesized and used in the annual updates of the EJP SOIL roadmap.

A database structure was developed to collect information on long-term experimental (LTE) sites, and the Network of LTEs and soil laboratories was established and subsequently transferred to the BONARES website for further development following the completion of the EJP SOIL. Several calls for access to infrastructure were launched in 2021, 2022, and 2023. A set of EJP SOIL articles was published in the special issue on Climate-Smart Sustainable Soil Management for the Future of the European Journal of Soil Science. The EJP SOIL also continued to facilitate dialogue between the EJP SOIL and relevant EU policymakers in soil research and agricultural soil management by mapping key policy actors at national and EU levels in the EJP SOIL countries, synthesizing findings from EU Policy Forums and national policy workshops, and identifying and establishing further collaboration with relevant soil initiatives. Communication, interaction, and knowledge exchange with stakeholders across the EU and within the EJP SOIL consortium have been carried out primarily through physical and digital participation.

The increased number of outputs and outcomes from the EJP SOIL programme and internal research project activities have been mediated through various CDE activities, such as physical and online workshops, meetings, webinars, conferences, news articles, videos, and social media activities. The EJP SOIL communication and dissemination strategy and plan have been reviewed and reflected in the CDE's annual reports. This has been achieved by synthesizing the findings of EU Policy Forums and national policy workshops, and by identifying and establishing increased collaboration with relevant soil initiatives. Communication, interaction, and knowledge exchange with stakeholders across the EU and within the EJP SOIL consortium have been primarily achieved through in-person and digital participation. The increased number of outputs and outcomes from the EJP SOIL programme and internal research project activities has been mediated through various CDE activities, such as in-person and online workshops, meetings, webinars, conferences, press articles, videos, and social media activities. The EJP SOIL communication and dissemination strategy and plan were reviewed and reflected upon in the CDE's annual reports. This was achieved by synthesizing the findings of EU Policy Forums and national policy workshops, and by identifying and establishing further collaboration with relevant soil initiatives.

Communication, interaction, and knowledge exchange with stakeholders across the EU and within the EJP SOIL consortium have been carried out primarily through in-person and digital engagement. The increasing number of outputs and results from EJP SOIL programme activities and the internal research project has been mediated through various CDE activities, such as in-person and online workshops, meetings, webinars, conferences, press articles, videos, and social media activities. The EJP SOIL communication and dissemination strategy and plan have been reviewed and reflected upon in the CDE's annual reports.