SOILL Project presented at Soil O-Live Annual Meeting
Giulia Campodonico, the SOILL project coordinator, participated in the Soil O-live Annual Meeting at the University of the Aegean on January 25th, 2024. Her presentation shed light on the SOILL project, which is centered around supporting and boosting activities for soil health and living labs and lighthouses to thrive across Europe.
SOILL Project Tackles Challenges in Olive Cultivation
The Mediterranean region's olive production relies heavily on the olive tree. But olive growers are struggling with issues like intensive agriculture, land degradation, biodiversity loss, and reduced functionality of the soil. The EU-funded SOIL O-LIVE project, coordinated the University of Jaén, was created to address these challenges through various multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary endeavors. The project will assess the environmental health of olive grove soil on a large scale across major olive-producing areas of the Mediterranean. SOIL O-LIVE will investigate how pollution and land degradation affect olive groves, examine the connection between soil health and the quality and safety of olive oil, implement effective methods for soil improvement and ecological restoration, and establish strict ecological thresholds for healthy European olive groves.
SOILL Project Makes Headway in First Year
In its first year, SOIL O-LIVE has analysed over 5,200 soil samples and engaged with thousands of farmers through training sessions. Researchers have also participated in key forums to raise awareness about the project.
The project is in its initial phase and will continue for four years. The findings from Soil O-Live will be used by the EU to design better agricultural policies for sustainable olive cultivation and high-quality olive oil production.