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Connecting People and Soils: A Mission-Oriented Ecosystem For Soil Health Living Labs

Gonzales-Gemio, Carla; Prieto, Clea

Publisher
Zenodo
DOI
10.5281/zenodo.17305566
Repository
zenodo.org
Language
en

Abstract

SOILL-Startup's AIR Institute presented 'Connecting People and Soils: A mission-oriented ecosystem for soil health living labs', a poster which highlights how healthy soils are the cornerstone of ecological resilience, sustainable agriculture, and rural vitality at EUROSOIL 2025. ABSTRACT: Healthy soils are the cornerstone of ecological resilience, sustainable agriculture, and rural vitality. Yet, despite their foundational role, soils remain undervalued in mainstream environmental strategies. The SOILL-Startup project addresses this gap by operationalizing the EU Soil Mission’s ambition to establish 100 Soil Health Living Labs (SHLLs) across Europe. Anchored in a participatory, inclusive governance model, SOILL-Startup links diverse actors—including farmers, researchers, and local actors—through a harmonized support structure that facilitates collaboration, training, and community-driven innovation. At its core, SOILL-Startup activates regional knowledge through Living Labs, while enabling cross-border knowledge exchange and community building. A digital Hub and collaborative platform connect stakeholders, promote mutual learning, and drive the uptake of nature-positive soil solutions. These digital tools, integrated with monitoring, matchmaking, and capacity-building systems, lay the foundation for a soil-centric innovation ecosystem. Rather than viewing soil as a passive resource, SOILL-Startup recognizes soils as socio-ecological connectors—units where community action, scientific guidance, and regenerative practices converge. Through dedicated work on engagement, training, evaluation, and knowledge sharing, the project charts a replicable pathway toward regional soil health transitions, contributing directly to the Soil Mission's targets for 2030. By connecting people and soils, SOILL-Startup supports a systemic transformation—where co-creation, equity, and landscape-level regeneration are not peripheral, but essential drivers of sustainable development. Keywords: Living Labs, Community Engagement, Agroecological Transition, Gender-inclusive innovation, Sustainable agriculture ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The author gratefully acknowledge the support of the European Commission through the Horizon Europe Programme under the project “Startup of the SOILL support structure for SOIL Living Labs” (SOILL-Startup), Grant Agreement No. 101145592. This project is implemented as part of the Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe', which aims to accelerate the transition toward healthy soils by 2030. REFERENCES: Baran, G., & Berkowicz, A. (2021). Digital platform ecosystems as living labs for sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation: a conceptual model proposal. Sustainability, 13(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116494. Gamache, G., Anglade, J., Feche, R., Barataud, F., Mignolet, C., & Coquil, X. (2020). Can living labs offer a pathway to support local agri-food sustainability transitions? Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 37, 93–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2020.08.002. Montes de Oca Munguia, O., Pannell, D. J., & Llewellyn, R. (2021). Understanding the adoption of innovations in agriculture: A review of selected conceptual models. Agronomy, 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11010139. Rochecouste, J. F., Dargusch, P., Cameron, D., & Smith, C. (2015). An analysis of the socioeconomic factors influencing the adoption of conservation agriculture as a climate change mitigation activity in Australian dryland grain production. Agricultural Systems, 135, 20–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2014.12.002.

Full text

CONNECTING PEOPLE AND SOILS: Supporting the Mission Soil Living Labs Healthy soils are vital to ecological resilience, sustainable agriculture, and rural vitality. Yet, they remain undervalued in many environmental strategies. Across Europe, Living Labs and Lighthouses are emerging as collaborative spaces to restore and protect soil health through research, innovation, and practice. SOILL-Startup co-designs and launches the SOILL one-stop support structure for coordination, support, enlargement, and promotion of the network of 100 Mission Soil Living Labs and Lighthouses, in participatory collaboration with the first waves of Living Labs and Lighthouses and key stakeholders. Strategic Pillars Innovation Ecosystem in Spain Impact and Policy Alignment Living Labs Regional knowledge activation, real-life experimentation Digital Hub Monitoring & Evaluation Community Engagement Capacity Building Collaborative platform for training, networking, and tools KPI frameworks, self-assessment tools, and impact dashboards Living Labs matchmaking, annual events, and mutual learning visits Bootcamps, mentorship, webinars, and training toolkits SOILL-Startup contributes to the 2030 EU Soil Mission by raising soil literacy, supporting the agroecological transition, enabling regeneration from local to EU levels, and promoting inclusive innovation. Its work aligns with the European Green Deal, the UN SDGs, and the Horizon Europe Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”. Core Concept SO ILL-Startup recognises soil as a socio-ecological connector and convergence point for : Scientific guidance Regenerative practices Community action ANDALUSIAN LL The Andalusian LL in southern Spain develops practical solutions to improve olive soil health, tackling erosion, contamination, water-holding capacity, and biodiversity. BASQUE LL The Basque LL in Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve promotes sustainable land use to balance biodiversity, culture, and local prosperity, tackling soil challenges in salt marshes amid climate and human pressures. ALVELAL LL The ALVELAL LL is Europe’s largest landscape restoration project, uniting over 500 members to combat soil degradation and drought through regenerative farming and Commonland’s 4 Returns Framework. IBERSOILL LL The Ibersoill LL, the only transnational site in LILAS4SOILS, brings together partners from Portugal and Spain to test carbon-farming practices and innovative soil carbon monitoring techniques with 20 pilot farmers across Beira Baixa and Castilla y León. MENORCA LIVING SOIL LL The Menorca LL builds on two decades of sustainable land stewardship to support farmers across the island in tackling water scarcity, soil fertility loss, and climate challenges, while easing economic and logistical pressures in a tourism-dominated economy. SES SHELL - GREENNOMED LL The SES SHELL LL in Southeastern Spain tackles soil degradation from decades of intensive farming by promoting regenerative practices, natural pesticides, efficient fertirrigation, and agro-system biodiversity management. GRANADA TIERRA VIVA LL The Granada Tierra Viva LL tests solutions to improve soil fertility, reduce erosion, enhance water retention, and promote sustainable land management in Granada.