H2020 SMS Project: Supporting the Soil Mission: Towards a European Roadmap for Research and Innovation in Soil and Territorial Management

Soil health is vital for the supply of food, energy, and biomaterials, as well as for climate action, ecosystem services, and biodiversity. Pressure on land and soil is increasing due to competing demands for land and bio-based products. Sustainable soil management that meets growing demand and prevents soil degradation requires coordinated R&I. This project will employ a multi-stakeholder approach to create an effective framework for action in the broader area of soil health and land management by coordinating efforts and pooling resources, developing a coherent portfolio of R&I activities, and identifying criteria for Living Labs and Lighthouses to demonstrate solutions.

The CSA will bring together key stakeholders in soil health and management through a transdisciplinary approach. Planned activities include analyzing R&I needs in soil and land management, expressed through stakeholder and citizen consultations and ongoing research projects, identifying gaps, priority areas, and action types for intervention, including Living Labs and Lighthouses. The fields of action range from agriculture and forestry to spatial planning, land reclamation, climate action, and disaster management. The outcomes will include:

• A stakeholder-co-created roadmap for R&D to support Horizon Europe in the area of soil and food health. - Better coordination with existing activities in Europe and globally, thereby increasing the visibility and effectiveness of R&I funding.
• Identification and learning from existing and potential Living Labs and Lighthouses to test and demonstrate solutions to simultaneously meet competing land-use demands. Through its activities, the CSA will support the EC and the Horizon Europe Mission Board in the area of Soil Health and Food in achieving the objectives.