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World Soil Day, celebrated annually on 5 December, highlights the vital role of healthy soils in ensuring food security, combating climate change and fostering environmental sustainability. This year’s theme, "Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, Manage," emphasises the critical need for accurate soil data to inform sustainable soil practices. In order to keep the focus on this theme, SOILL-Startup organises with other projects under the EU Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ the Webinar “Caring for Soils: Insights from EU Mission Soil Projects on Measurement, Monitoring, and Management”. The event spotlights innovative and current solutions for soil measuring, monitoring, and managing, by showcasing efforts and contribution of the EU Mission Soil projects. 

The webinar takes place on 12 December 2024 at 10:00 CET and brings together representatives from key projects — SOILL-Startup, AI4Soil Health, MARVIC, BENCHMARKS, and MRV4SOC — illustrating how these projects are advancing soil health through innovation, technology, and research. The event showcases the valuable contributions of the Mission Soil projects, focussing on how their efforts align with the global call to action. 

Who should attend? 

  • Mission Soil Living Labs or actors interested in applying to the dedicated Mission Soil funding opportunities to set up Mission Soil Living Labs 
  • Researchers, innovators, and practitioners in soil science, agriculture, climate action, and digital technologies. 
  • Policy-makers involved in soil and land management. 
  • Land managers and private sector organisations interested in innovative soil health solutions. 
  • Potential consortium members applying for 2025 EU Missions projects focused on soil health. 

Why attend? 

Attendees will explore how the EU Mission Soil projects are advancing soil measurement, monitoring, and management practices and learn about synergies between initiatives and opportunities for collective action. They will also gain insights into overcoming obstacles in achieving sustainable soil health. Additionally, the event provides a chance to hear directly from European Commission experts about policies and objectives related to soil health, offering an understanding of upcoming funding opportunities and research priorities. Attending this webinar offers a unique opportunity to connect with leading experts and innovative projects addressing soil health issues, such as soil degradation, carbon sequestration and biodiversity loss. Attendees will have the chance to engage in a dynamic discussion with representatives from pioneering projects that are at the forefront of soil health innovation. 

Key Takeaways

  • An overview of innovative projects and how they contribute to a sustainable soil future. 
  • Networking opportunities for future collaborations in soil-related consortia. 
  • A deeper understanding of the Mission Soil objectives and upcoming opportunities.

REGISTER NOW

10:00 - 10:05 | Welcome and overview of the objectives of the event

Speaker

Gabriela Rogowska
Gabriela Rogowska

Trust-IT Services
SOILL-Startup Project

10:05 - 10:20 | Setting the scene on challenges and objectives

Speaker

Arwyn Rhys Jones
Arwyn Rhys Jones

European Commission, JRC
Deputy Head of Unit, EUSO Project Leader

10:20 - 11:15 | EU Mission Soil projects: results, challenges and achievements

In this session, we hear from EU Mission Soil projects that are working on soil monitoring:

  • SOILL-Startup: Giulia Campodonico, SOILL-Startup - Head of Projects at  ENoLL - European Network of Living Labs.
  • BENCHMARKS – Advancing Soil Research, Monitoring, and Sustainable Land Use in Europe by Paolo di Lonardo, BENCHMARKS - Researcher and Scientific Project Manager at Wageningen University.
  • AI4SoilHealth – Pan European digital infrastructure and soil health analysis by David A. Robinson, AI4SoilHealth - Soil Scientist at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.
  • MARVIC: Martin Hvarregaard Thorsøe, MARVIC & SoilValue - Associate Professor at Aarhus University, dept of Agroecology.
  • MRV4SOC: Dimitra Palantza, MRV4SOC - Researcher in Remote Sensing for Soil Monitoring at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH).

Speaker

Giulia Campodonico
Giulia Campodonico

ENoLL - Head of Projects
SOILL-Startup Project

Speaker

Paolo di Lonardo Wageningen University
Paolo Di Lonardo

Wageningen University
BENCHMARKS Project

Speaker

David A. Robinson
David A. Robinson

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
AI4SoilHealth Project

Speaker

MARVIC_Martin Hvarregaard Thorsoe
Martin Hvarregaard Thorsoe

Aarhus University
MARVIC Project

Speaker

Dimitra Palantza
Dimitra Palantza

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
MRV4SOC project

11:15 - 11:30 | Roundtable with the project representatives and Q&A

Moderator

Gabriela Rogowska
Gabriela Rogowska

Trust-IT Services
SOILL-Startup Project

Speaker

Arwyn Rhys Jones
Arwyn Rhys Jones

European Commission, JRC
Deputy Head of Unit, EUSO Project Leader

Speaker

Giulia Campodonico
Giulia Campodonico

ENoLL - Head of Projects
SOILL-Startup Project

Speaker

Paolo di Lonardo Wageningen University
Paolo Di Lonardo

Wageningen University
BENCHMARKS Project

Speaker

David A. Robinson
David A. Robinson

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
AI4SoilHealth Project

Speaker

MARVIC_Martin Hvarregaard Thorsoe
Martin Hvarregaard Thorsoe

Aarhus University
MARVIC Project

Speaker

Dimitra Palantza
Dimitra Palantza

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
MRV4SOC project