Pilot case studies

Nature-based solutions depending on trees and other vegetation types—and the soil on which they are growing—provide various benefits to society, such as purifying air, storing CO2, and mitigating the urban heat island effect. The provision of these services by trees outside forests and roadside verges is of great importance in forest-poor and urbanised regions, such as Flanders. As part of the green infrastructure, these ecosystems can play an important role by connecting different nature conservation areas. Despite their ecological and socio-economic importance, these ecosystems are not included in national forest or nature inventory campaigns, which results in a lack of data about their spatial extent and characteristics. This lack of an up-to-date above- and belowground inventory not only limits the inclusion of these ecosystem services in spatial planning processes but also poses a challenge for the sustainable conservation and management of these green structures. Furthermore, by neglecting the interactions between the soil conditions and the aboveground plant components and characteristics (e.g., tree health and roadside biodiversity), current conservation and management practices will be inefficient and ineffective.

This project aims to further build upon these preliminary findings on the effect of soil health on trees and ecosystem functions by roadside verges and exploit the participatory soil health methodology of HuMUS to acknowledge and integrate the importance of soil health in local policy of urban trees and roadsides in the city of Hasselt. To this end, various stakeholder consultation and engagement tools (including a.o. co-creation workshops, soil sampling in collaboration with citizen scientists, participatory cartography and sociograms) will be used in the different phases of this project, leading to contextually relevant and sustainable solutions for boosting soil (bûjem in the local dialect of Hasselt) health in urban areas.

The primary soil challenge in the Grezzana region is soil loss of quality, particularly in hilly areas prone to slopes and valleys. Our innovative project aims to address soil erosion through a comprehensive soil health governance model grounded on circularity principles. The strategy involves discussing and identifying more sustainable soil management practices, such as terracing, cover cropping, and reforestation, while mapping and planning the adoption of technologies like vermicomposting and biochar production produced locally from bio-wastes to enhance soil quality and resilience. 

The uniqueness of our approach lies in the integration of participatory methodologies and technological innovations joined together to assure the implementation of sustainable, circular practices for the increase of soil natural regeneration. By engaging the local community, farmers, schools, innovators, and the municipality, with its own service companies, we ensure the project’s success in deploying a governance model to promote soil protection and property enhancement thanks to circular practices activated in the Grezzana region. The use of vermicomposting and biochar production represents cutting-edge, eco-friendly practices, based on the engagement of all the local stakeholders. The initiative will test and demonstrate a sustainable soil management pilot case. 

The project aspires to bring a transformative change to the current soil health situation in Grezzana. The expected results include a significant improvement in the soil properties, enhancing soil quality, and fostering resilience against environmental challenges. Improved soil health will positively impact agricultural productivity, safeguard water quality, and contribute to the overall ecological balance.

Agricultural soil degradation is becoming a problem from an environmental, economic and business perspective. Soil literacy is lacking in present and future farmers, public officers and consumer segments. This hinders innovation and new business and consumer practices. 

CiPaS bridges the gap between: The experience the Municipality of Siena has in training and public engagement and the know-how the municipalities of Sovicille and Monteroni have in running organic farms. We want to leverage the highly participatory projects done in Siena that looked particularly at supporting “Rete degli Orti di Siena” (“Network of Urban Community Gardens”), lectures about alternative practices in agricultural schools, citizens’ involvement and raising awareness amongst public officers and green spaces technicians and the in-depth knowledge on how to balance economic and financial sustainability by SMEs building the biodistrict. We will perform a Diagnosis to gather the details of past projects in one single repository and the identification of soil challenges specific to the context of the province of Siena. Following that, we’ll organise three participative and knowledge-sharing events, one per municipality: the objective is to create awareness amongst the public and future and present farmers about what has been done in other municipalities.

During these events, we will perform participative activities to involve attendees: specifically, we want to gather more information on the priorities of the Territorial Management Agreement (TMA), who would like to be involved in drafting and delivering it and places that may become areas for new soil-regeneration projects. During these events and online, an “open call for projects” will be presented: the public will be requested to point to areas around Siena and submit a project idea for the area. Those who declared interest will be presented with a draft of the TMA to be validated and to highlight any missing points. At the same time, CiPaS will invite citizens to present a selection of ideas from the “open call for projects”.

The mining activity in Hunedoara County, particularly in Jiu Valley microregion has been known since the late 19th century, resulting in significant environmental pollution of air, water, and soil. Regarding soil pollution, the waste generated from coal extraction and preparation of hard coal in Jiu Valley has led to the accumulation of tailings which was deposited in various areas in the microregion, in tailing dumps. 

CresConSMin will establish spaces for group discussions on issues related to soil health and quality threats in the context of mining waste storage. Local MGO – Asociația Institutul Social Valea Jiului (AISVJ), public authorities (Petrila City Hall), and academic experts from POLITEHNICA Bucharest will collaborate to promote participatory governance methods and tools for enhancing soil quality and health governance in the affected territories.

Our focus will be primarily oriented towards Petrila city, eastern part of the Jiu Valley microregion. Based on the project outcome, the project concept will be replicated and lessons learned will be shared to other impacted cities from the microregion. The objective is to raise awareness among stakeholders, in relation to the soil health protection and former mining sites re-use in a more sustainable manner and re-purpose in terms of economic development. We will encourage the stakeholders of Petrila city to engage and adapt general steps to fully rehabilitate these sites of solid mining residue deposits: (1) mining sites refurbishment to regenerate soil and plant cultivation, and (2) provide environmental recovery of the deposit’s surfaces. We aim to promote the necessity of soil restoration/rehabilitation waste dumps as a firsthand; to encourage quality of locally produced food; to promote the attractiveness of the area through tourism and recreation activities; and to engage local communities in using the restored areas for future economic sustainable growth.

The intensive use of agricultural land leased by farmers and agroholdings from residents of the Vinnytsia territorial community for agricultural production causes soil degradation, including pollution, reduced biodiversity, compaction, and, on sloping land, increased water erosion. We consider solving this problem at the local level by combining the efforts of the Institute’s researchers with the desire of local residents to keep their soils healthy. For this purpose, training workshops (theoretical and practical) will be organised on the created online educational platform. Ordinary citizens will be able to constantly test the health of the soil (Earthworm count, Underwear test; tea bags soil test, Infiltration test) on the territory of their land parcels that they have leased. Certain analyses (pH, soil density) of soil health indicators will be carried out by the Institute’s experts, as agreed in the relevant territorial agreement. In this way, a local community-based monitoring system will be introduced via online platforms to facilitate the exchange of data for decision-making among local stakeholders.

It is expected that the adoption of agroecological practices involves the development of farming systems that mimic natural ecosystems, and minimal tillage with the integration of cover crops and perennials into crop rotations will reduce soil pollution and density, increase soil biodiversity, minimize water erosion on sloping lands, and introduce soil protection farming to improve water retention and reduce soil disturbance.

Israel comprises 54 Regional Councils (RC) that collectively manage the majority of natural and agricultural land. In the densely populated coastal region of Israel, the lack of care for water interactions leads to coastal cities flooding, severe soil erosion, and damage to food production and civil infrastructures. Gezer Regional Councils (GRC) is located in central Israel, managing 1,213 ha of land and comprises 25 villages, where agriculture dominates 67% of its territory. 

The project aims to implement innovative solutions grounded in participatory governance tools. Through multi-stakeholder dialogues, we will conduct a thorough assessment of the current state of soil health. Building on this foundation, we will facilitate Study Circles aimed at deepening stakeholders’ understanding and awareness of critical issues such as soil water erosion, organic matter depletion, and soil structure degradation. Furthermore, we will lead participatory policy-making initiatives to establish a regional convention for soil health conservation and erosion prevention.

The anticipated outcomes of the project are multifaceted:

1. Establishment of a collaborative platform for constructive dialogue among diverse stakeholders in GRC, serving as a catalyst for transformative change in the region’s agricultural practices.
2. Identification and targeted addressing of three key focus areas for immediate intervention and action to safeguard soil health in GRC.
3. Heightened public awareness of the critical importance of soil health and conservation practices throughout GRC, fostering a culture of stewardship and sustainability within the community.

Together, these outcomes will pave the way for a more resilient and sustainable agricultural future in the Gezer Regional Council, ensuring the long-term health and productivity of its soils for generations.

Gorgona, a small island in the Tuscan Archipelago, is the last Prison Island in Italy. There, inmates grow vegetables for internal consumption, vines and olive trees are also grown. Gorgona needs rational and sustainable management of the little soil useful for cultivation also to minimise food imports and to preserve the ecosystem. Agricultural work represents the possibility for inmates to redeem their past and take care of themselves. The challenge is therefore to give organicity and method to a correct management of the environment through a participatory process. 

The Gorgona Smart Island will draft a shared and binding document that aims to define actions to protect soil and water and to guarantee continuity of agricultural production over time (TMA) in an eco sustainable way. The “Analysis of Replication Potential” brochure will be drawn up by the stakeholders and contain a scientific approach for the correct management of the water, sea and soil. ISPRA, the Penitentiary of Livorno-Gorgona, Chimica Verde Bionet and Re-Cord Consortium intend to create a system based on the spiral model of the Quadruple Helix. The active participation of marginalised stakeholders, such as the inmates, will be one of the keystones of the project. 

The objective is the correct management of the environment through the re-education of disadvantaged stakeholders. Topics such as soil organic carbon, salinisation and alkalinisation, soil waterproofing, water storage capacity on the island of Gorgona take on particular importance in a fragile context. The Municipality of Livorno, the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago, Legambiente as non-governative organization, the agricultural companies that already work in Gorgona (Frescobaldi and the Cooperativa SS Annunziata), the resident citizens have expressed interest in the project.

Soil chemistry, the foundation of agriculture plays a key role in soil health. Insufficient knowledge and awareness of its importance results, among others, in soil degradation and diminishing its capacity to provide ecosystem services. The SOSoil project will engage and activate municipalities in the region Lubelskie to increase the cooperation among local Quadruple Helix stakeholders and support the co-implementation of solutions to protect and restore soil health at a municipal and regional scale. The SOSoil project will generate interaction spaces, provide assessments and efforts towards understanding soil health challenges and solution identification, as well as and improvement of knowledge base and awareness level on soil health and soil quality threats.

The main project’s aims include i) Building capacities and knowledge base, social dialogue and collaboration, and ii) Improving literacy in society of the importance of soil chemistry and soil health. The participatory methodology including a stakeholder perception survey, key stakeholder, and community workshop will be applied. Farmers (conventional and ecological production), owners of allotment and home gardens, agricultural entrepreneurs, agricultural advisors, representatives of Regional Chemical–Agricultural Station in Lublin, Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and agricultural chamber, as well as the Grupa Azoty (the powerhouse in the domestic fertilizer market and a key player in the European fertilizer and chemical industry), are planned to be included.

The main challenge is soil degradation caused by conventional agricultural practices and industrial activities in Sesto F.no. The project foresees a set of activities aiming at the involvement of Quadruple Helix stakeholders in the elaboration of a TMA that will pose the basis for the bio-district proposal formulation. The innovative approach proposed is based on agroecology.

1. TMA elaboration, basis for the bio-district proposal: a geographical area where farmers, citizens, tourist operators, associations and public authorities enter into an agreement for the sustainable management of local resources, based on organic principles and practices, aiming at the fulfilment of the economic and socio-cultural potential of the territory
2. Recruitment of relevant stakeholders belonging to the Quadruple Helix, aiming at carrying out communication campaigns
3. State of the art description, consisting in collecting the relevant information elements on the territory, referring to the main databases, statistical/quantitative and geographical/territorial. The combination of these 2 aspects aims to identify the general features of the main phenomena and processes affecting the municipal rural territory
4. Awareness-raising, through innovative organic farming demonstration plots, to provide tangible examples of the promoted sustainable practices. Monitoring these plots, along with conducting workshops, thematic meetings, and tours, gives farmers the necessary technical support for transitioning to organic farming and to assess the impact of sustainable agricultural practices on soil health and environment. 3 focus groups will allow the systematisation of the salient messages conveyed to stakeholders. Moreover, educational actions based on a citizen science approach with schools will open the range of stakeholders involved

The long term presence of humans, especially modern agriculture has had an overwhelming negative effect on soils, resulting in soil degradation, compaction and desertification. 

First, the project focuses on educating locals of at least three groups of the quadruple helix—industry, government and public—however, later it also expands to bringing in children at a local level as well as academia and government at a national level. We will give stakeholders a set of methods they can use to improve the soil they have access to, in the interest of having better results in production. We will also present stakeholders with a set of at-home tests they can execute to keep track of how their soil is doing at a non-scientific level with or without the improvements. Helping them learn how to take good care of their environment as well as themselves. We will also carry out professional soil tests for presentation purposes as well as to support the results of the home tests. This will be combined with sensitising social issues and touching on self-sufficiency, including but not limited to growing a part of one’s own food.

We plan on achieving this with 1 local and 1 national event organised by the consortium parties, an event organised by a farmer-pedagogue duo for local children during the 9 months of executing the project. Also, we plan on designing a booklet summarising everything learnt during the events and making a short documentary on the subject. Both to make the ripples of the project far reaching and easily replicable.

The project seeks to address the pressing soil challenges prevalent in the Mediterranean region, where factors such as climate change, land degradation, and unsustainable agricultural practices pose significant threats to soil health. Focusing on Italy’s Cilento National Park, the initiative aims to raise awareness and understanding of the crucial role soil plays in sustaining ecosystems, food production, and water management.

The project is original and innovative because it is based on the human-soil connection and inspiring people to reconnect to nature through sensory stimuli and cutting edge science. By combining advanced neuroscience with agroecological practices, the project aims to explore the relationship between soil, scent, cognitive responses, and environmental health. Collaborating entities Strobilo and the Future Food Institute have established the Mediterranean Mind Lab to study these interactions. A key component of the project involves engaging a diverse group of stakeholders, including farmers, citizens, industry, policymakers, and academia (plus youth! next gen farmers + academics) in a unique experiment. 

Participants will assess soil health through olfactory perception, and their neurological responses will be recorded. This will be followed by comprehensive laboratory analyses to validate the initial findings. Over a nine-month period, these individuals will undergo soil stewardship education facilitated by on-farm experiences and complemented with the HuMUS Project’s Soil Steward Programme. Hands-on workshops led by experts, participants will delve into regenerative farming techniques and sustainable soil management practices. Led by experts such as Edmondo Soffritti, Yasmine Cathell and Alessio Corti, these workshops will offer practical solutions grounded in agroecological practices. Participants will gain insights into various aspects of soil health, including composition, structure, and biology, as well as innovative approaches like biostimulants, no-till farming, composting barn, and agroforestry.

At the project’s conclusion, stakeholders will emerge with an appreciation and comprehensive understanding of their role in safeguarding soil vitality. The ultimate goal is to cultivate a new generation of “soil sommeliers” capable of discerning indicators of soil health. Empowered by this knowledge and armed with a co-created Territorial Management Plan, participants will be equipped to drive meaningful change in their communities.

The project involves activities to solve three main soil problems in the community: pollution with nitrates and pesticides, erosion and loss of soil organic carbon. Efforts to reduce soil contamination will include providing farmers with tools, techniques and services to avoid overapplication of nitrogen fertilisers in areas at highest risk of nitrate accumulation and leaching, as well as simple tests for critical levels of pesticide residue accumulation in the soil. Measures to reduce water erosion will include the innovative way of placing forest shelterbelts in the landscape based on the results of computer modelling of the least risk of soil loss. The most erosion-prone parts of the community’s land will be identified and used to train local land managers. Reducing SOC losses will be achieved through the implementation the adaptive practices of carbon farming and the development of business proposals for the production of organic fertilizers from local raw materials, including bottom sediments.

Expected results: ensuring and stimulating dialogue on soil health and sustainable management of community land resources (at least 2 workshops, in the press and social networks), signing of the Territorial Management Agreement by all relevant Quadruple Helix stakeholders (including a post-project activity plan), SWOT analysis of proposed approaches to joint management of soil health problems and threats, the results of the implementation of the HuMUS methodology in soil health management within Valky community (in the form of a short report), the guidance in sustainable soil management and soil health control (for farmers, land managers and representatives of municipal services).

Outcomes: increased community awareness of soil problems and sustainable agriculture practices, engagement of wide social layers into public soil management process, minimizing of the main soil threats on the municipality territory, dissemination of novelties in soil conservation

The initiative financed by the HuMUS Project is focused on the recovery of 30.000 hectares of the Quipar river basin in Caravaca de la Cruz (Murcia). This region has suffered severe degradation due to unsustainable land and water management practices in agriculture and livestock farming, with consequences such as nitrate pollution, extensive soil erosion and depletion of underground aquifers. By bringing together diverse stakeholders in soil health with global dialogue we aim to address the soil health crisis through regenerative agricultural practices, and thus lay the foundation for the full restoration of the Quipar river basin.

As part of our efforts to manage brown fields and polluted soils from our industrial past, several objectives of the European soil mission are pertinent to the MEL. In the context of developing an urban farm in Roubaix, our REVALS project aims to reveal and valorise the life of soils by using ecological accounting tools. This will allow us to quantify the environmental value created by restoring soil functions and to assess the social and societal benefits, such as improved living conditions and new services for residents. 

The soil challenges we want to address are soil erosion and water storage capacity. Our proposed solution is to facilitate soil management practices that enhance water storage capacity in soils and reduce runoff, therefore also mitigating soil erosion. Through the involvement of all quadruple helix stakeholders, we expect to find solutions that are widely supported by all actors and will be easily applicable due to a high motivation by all participants. Soil stands at the centre, but we want to look at these challenges in a systemic way; through the involvement of municipalities, measures can be applied on a bigger scale than a single plot.

In this project, the members of the Ecoregion Kaindorf want to share their experiences they could gather for 17 years and create a space for an effective exchange between municipalities, but also regions across Europe on soil health challenges. The set up of our consortium gives us the capacity to co-implement solutions between private and public actors aimed at the protection and restoration of soil health. Especially Wegener Centre Graz will be involved in the soil health dialogue. The approach of choosing a LEADER region as a project area, which exists in this organisational form and structure throughout Europe, will facilitate the replication of our project and promote its Europe-wide dissemination.

Expected results: We want to develop a replicable model for municipalities and communities for identifying and motivating all relevant Stakeholder groups for soil health and a sustainable use of soil. This model will identify needs and necessities and building up on these will develop suitable strategies for communities. Building on this experience, a package of measures will be developed, that can be used by municipalities in order to support soil health and farmers and tackle challenges caused by climate change.

Soil compaction, soil erosion and loss of soil organic carbon are serious threats presently affecting yields, soil water retention, and soil health in the Austrian KLAR! region Tullnerfeld Ost. Land take is the ultimate threat to soil health and soil ecosystem services and decreases the soils’ ability to mitigate and adapt to climate change. 

In Soil Health Talks, a consortium consisting of Environment Agency Austria, University of Natural Resources and Life Science and Federal Research Centre for Forest intends to intensively support the region in finding solutions to protect and restore soil health at municipal and regional scale. By recalling recent regional extreme weather events / floods and droughts events and placing soil functions and soil health by practical experiments into this context, we expect to raise awareness and initiate procreative discussions between different stakeholders.

In 6 workshops or interactive lectures and on 1 experiment-day representatives of academia, industry, government, together with farmers, hobby-gardeners and interested citizens will make use of scientific methods of soil science, plant cultivation and biodiversity to gain an understanding of the importance of soil protection and soil health. The stakeholders will carry out experiments on soil and nutrition soil functions, as well as soil sealing and land take. The innovative content can be divided into two sub-areas: 1) an innovative series of hands-on soil health workshops and land-take experiments; 2) face-to-face activities and discussions focussing on soil ecosystem services and climate change adaptation.

The project is part of the work of the Green Community Umbria Etrusca (from now on Green Community), of which the Municipality of Allerona is a member, together with the Municipalities of Parrano, Orvieto, San Venanzo, Ficulle, Castelviscardo, Baschi, Guardea and Montecchio—9 out of 19 municipalities of the South-West Orvieto Internal Area, the largest of the 5 internal areas of Umbria Region. The Green Community is an inter-municipal cooperation network, represented mainly by small municipalities with less than 3,000 inhabitants, focused on rural areas integral ecological regeneration based on the valorization of ecosystem services. 

The project aims at addressing the challenge on the risks of soil degradation and erosion with consequent loss of organic substance, fertility and biodiversity. An equally important challenge concerns awareness of agroecological practices for soil conservation and regeneration. In this regard, the project focuses on an integrated pilot action on the medium-low hilly area, concerning the valleys of Tevere, Paglia, and Chiani. Although heterogeneous, these are vulnerable hilly areas, that require complex actions, not only for containing pernicious soil erosion phenomena, but also for the management of agricultural and forestry systems, which are exposed to climate change and loss of biodiversity. The primary objective is to co-design and co-implement place-based participatory observations, hands-on training activities, aimed at raising awareness on the risks linked to the consumption and use of soil on a local scale, and of the consequences on the quality of life for rural communities. 

The project will involve structured paths facilitated by an interdisciplinary operational group with the direct involvement of local communities, through participatory action research, local meetings and workshops, public consultations, focus groups and the implementation of a pilot action co-led by youth. All activities are functional to strengthening the importance that soil has, as primary environmental matrix, in particular agricultural soils and the crucial role they play for food security and sovereignty and a recognition of soil as part of cultural heritage.

The Project aims to develop a pilot in the Municipality of Torres Vedras (Portugal), where agriculture plays an important socioeconomic role, with 56% of the territory occupied by agricultural, pasture and agroforestry areas. This poses several challenges to soil health and fertility.

Through the involvement of the actors defined in the Quadruple Helix innovation model, the project aims to contribute to a socio-ecological transition in the Municipality. In this sense, literacy and awareness of soil health are fundamental, and science must be at the service of society.

In the context of wine growing soils in the region, one of the expected outputs of the project is the development of a “soil health and fertility recording”, composed by several physical-chemical and biological parameters. This recording has great potential for future replication in other agricultural crops and areas. Three case studies will be conducted in the Ventosa parish, involving a selection of winegrowers using different production systems: conventional, organic and regenerative. 

Key stakeholders have already been identified for engagement in participatory methods such as focus groups and design thinking methodologies. Accordingly, it is also expected to develop:

• A Living Soil Field (Lighthouse) in a local Agricultural School (Fernando Barros Leal Professional Agricultural School).
• A Soil Strategy of the Municipality of Torres Vedras
• A Soil Observatory of the Municipality of Torres Vedras

Padua is placed at the heart of Veneto, a region marked by high urban density and a fragmented agricultural landscape, characterised by intensive arable crops monocultures. The soils of this region are increasingly pressured by these anthropic activities. Soil sealing and soil degradation are existing challenges to the long-term sustainability of the region’s agricultural sector, but also to the well-being of the local population.

The SAUR project recognizes the central role of farmers in addressing the challenges posed by increasing soil degradation, especially in terms of loss of ecosystem services and vulnerability to climate shocks. In this sense, the project proposes as a solution the activation of a transition process leading to the adoption of agroecological practices by farmers. 

Within this project, the municipality wants to set up a participatory process which can connect the farmers active in the municipal land, with the city’s citizens/consumers but also with other food system stakeholders, aligning with the quadruple helix approach. The expected result of the project is to trigger a process of agroecological transformation of the urban agri-food system. This will be achieved through the co-definition of a shared strategy (the TMA) to overcome the obstacles to the implementation of a long-term vision for municipal soil stewardship through the following actions: 1) supporting the local farming sector from transitioning towards a production system based on soil regeneration, especially through knowledge sharing and technical advice; 2) connecting consumers with local farmers who are transitioning to more sustainable agricultural practices, thus creating a market pull; 3) involving the university to leverage high-level soil knowledge and implement its third mission more effectively; 4) raising awareness of local decision-makers on the importance of soil in city policies.