Soil Mission Projects

Collaboration of Soil Mission Projects with the EU Soil Observatory

The EU Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ (Mission Soil) is one of five Missions funded under the EU Research and Innovation (R&I) Programme Horizon Europe. Its goal is to create 100 Living Labs and Lighthouses by 2030 to promote sustainable land and soil management in urban and rural areas. The Mission Soil is rooted in research and innovation and was launched under HORIZON Europe, the EU Research and Innovation (R&I) Programme. Funded projects gather partners from all over Europe and beyond to work together towards achieving the Mission Soil objectives.

More information about the Funder projects under the Mission Soil.

In this page, you will find information about the collaboration between the Soil Mission projects and the EU Soil Observatory (EUSO). The list of examples is not exchaustive and it becomes available in reverse chronological order. The examples listed below resulted in published work or datasets available in the EU Soil Observatory. There are more bilateral collaboration which are under development. 

In addition, each of the EUSO newsletters (starting from April 2025) includes a section "Horizon Europe - Mission Soil News" with announcements, calls, achievements, news, events from Mission Soil Projects.

2025

EUSO participated in a key publication of AI4SoilHealth on land degradation: Rethinking Global Soil Degradation: Drivers, Impacts, and Solutions. Soil degradation is a growing problem that threatens soil and food security, ecosystem functioning, and socio-economic activities. A recent article in Reviews of Geophysics looks at how soil degradation is defined and measured, the causes behind it, and how it affects people and the environment. It also explores new tools like satellite data, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics that could help us better detect and predict soil degradation. The study highlights how protecting soil health is essential to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals. It calls for better ways to measure soil health and smarter strategies to manage land in a sustainable way.

AI4SoilHealth and EUSO have collaborated and published a framework on Continental scale soil monitoring. Selecting appropriate soil indicators across Europe is challenging due to diverse climate, topography, geology, and soil types. Therefore, establishing clear principles and criteria for soil indicator selection is essential. Thanks to a fruitful collaboration between EUSO and the Mission Soil project AI4SoilHealth, four distinct frameworks for soil quality assessment were identified and described: ‘Fitness for Purpose’, ‘Free from Degradation’, ‘External Benchmarking’ and ‘Value Assessment’, with each possessing a unique role and application. The ‘Free from Degradation’ framework is particularly suitable for pan-European assessments as conducted in the EUSO Soil Degradation Dashboard.

AI4SoilHealth and EUSO have collaborated and published the paper A First Quantitative Assessment of Soil Health at European Scale Considering Soil Genesis. In this paper, we introduce SHERPA (Soil Health Evaluation, Rating Protocol, and Assessment) as a framework for discussion and present a first quantitative soil health assessment across Europe.

AI4SoilHealth and EUSO have collaborated and published the paper Spatial and temporal assessment of soil degradation risk in Europe. Using over 38,000 LUCAS topsoil observations and a machine learning model trained on climate, land cover, topographic, soil parent material properties, and spectral variables, we map annual SDP values between years 2000 to 2022 across Europe. Results show soil degradation risk is highest in southern Europe, especially in intensively managed and sparsely vegetated landscapes. 

AI4SoilHealth and EUSO have collaborated and published the paper Soil Erosion as a Driver of Eutrophication: An Analysis of European Lakes Using Sentinel-2 Satellite Data. This study examines the impact of soil erosion on eutrophication, considering other covariates such as slope, elevation, phosphorus, nitrogen, flow accumulation and temperature, by analyzing zones of varying sizes around lakes in six different countries of Europe covering an area of 1596 km2: Austria (81 lakes), France (310), Germany (266), Hungary (73), Poland (465), and the United Kingdom (316). 

AI4SoilHealth and EUSO have collaborated and published the paper Patterns and thresholds for soil pH across Europe in relation to soil health and degradation. In this research we analysed the European topsoil pH data (LUCAS) in combination with other soil properties from the LUCAS survey, to identify thresholds and spatial patterns of soil pH across Europe in relation to soil health and degradation. 

AI4SoilHealth and EUSO have collaborated and published the paper  The Fraction of Carbon in Soil Organic Matter as a National-Scale Soil Process Indicator. In this paper, we show an intriguingly tight relationship between the fraction of SOC in SOM, habitat and soil physical properties, as well as SOC stored in POM and MAOM. This opens up new ways to predict spatial variations in the distribution of POC and MAOC using more widely available fraction data as a covariate.

AI4SoilHealth and EUSO have collaborated and published the paper Predicting Soil Properties Using Spectral Subsets of LUCAS Visible Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Data. This study explores the predictive potential of selected spectral subsets from the full visible and near-infrared (VIS–NIR) range, using various machine learning algorithms (MLAs), as a theoretical exercise to support the design of practical soil sensing tools.

AI4SoilHealth and EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) have signed the the collaboration agreement No 36657 (AI4SoilHealth-JRC). The collaboration includes among others: (1) Both parties will collaborate for the “Development and Validation of Indicators for soil health” (2) EUSO will be the scientific beneficiary which implies that the project deliverables (e.g. data, knowledge, indicators, etc) will be delivered to the JRC; (3) Building capacity for policy support in soil related EU policies (Soil Strategy 2030, upcoming Soil Health Law, Common Agricultural Policy, Zero Pollution Action Plan, Farm to Fork).

SoilValues representative delivered a keynote speach in the 5^th EUSO Stakeholder Forum on 5^th EUSO Stakeholders Forum - "How can healthy soils increase EU competitiveness?". In addition, the project contributed to the  the joint study on how Healthy soils as a booster to EU competitiveness. The study presents soil health related business models addressing most of the challenges posed by soil degradation, climate change, and biodiversity loss, while promoting sustainable agriculture practices and improving ecosystem functioning.

MONALISA has contributed to the development and update (2023) of Cover-Management (C-factor) doine by EUSO. This update is drafted in the data paper: A data-driven indicator for assessing the evolving impact of the EU Common Agricultural Policy on soil erosion mitigation. This developement included C-factor updates of C-factor using LANDUM model for 2000, 2010, 2016 and 2013 and are available in ESDAC.

SoilWise collaborates with EUSO in the development of the SoilWise catalogue for data and knowledge sharing within the Soil Mission. The support provided by the JRC to the SoilWise team is focuses on integration of the repository in the existing EUSO ecosystem and in future endeavours regarding soil science, as well as reflecting the values of the Commission.

SOIL O-LIVE and EUSO have published an article in Nature Sustainability “Unsustainably losing ground”.  The article presents how Mediterranean olive groves—symbols of culture, tradition, and livelihoods—are increasingly threatened by unsustainable soil loss. The pronounced climatic sensitivity of olive groves, combined with the complexity of the interactions among land, atmosphere, water and human systems, positions these ecosystems as a highly policy-relevant case study.

BENCHMARKS and AI4SoilHealth and the EUSO co-organised the Mission Soil Living Lab Indicator Training Course (15-17 September 2025). Living Labs from across Europe came together to share their unique contexts and co-develop monitoring plans tailored to landscapes, soil types, and challenges. The Living Labs were trained in soil health monitoring and management specific to their context. 

EUSO staff has been a keynote speaker in the SOILL highlight event 'Shaping the Future of Soil Health Living Labs and Lighthouses in Europe' . This was a policy-oriented conference to connect EU-level expectations with on-the-ground evidence from the first and second waves of Mission Soil Living Labs. 

SOLO EUSO staff members contributed to the SOLO’s preliminary assessments on the knowledge gaps:

• Outlook on the knowledge gaps to reduce soil erosion
• Outlook on the knowledge gaps to improve nature conservation of soil biodiversity
• Outlook on the knowledge gaps to reduce land degradation in Europe

MARVIC – MRV4SOC collaborated with EUSO on workshops on the development of “Baseline approaches for monitoring soil carbon removals” and intercomparison of models to improve the European baseline for carbon removals. This session was co-organised a session in the 2^nd Carbon Farming Summit. This session reflected on the different options to calculate standardised baselines and to reflect on what the public sector can provide and what private sectors need related to their experiences in practice. Through open dialogue, the session aimed to identify differences in our methodologies, and to find collaborative solutions. Additionally, this session highlighted the importance of regional contexts and the role of pedo-climatic and regulatory circumstances in establishing accurate and reliable baselines. Main outputs from the session.

HuMus, Prepsoil, LOESS, SOLO, SOILTRIBES, SOILSCAPE, CURIOSOIL and ECHO participated actively in the Soil Literacy workshop 13-14 March 2025. The meeting held on the 13th -14th of March 2025 was an opportunity to share and explore best practices from a range of diverse perspectives and targeted stakeholders, as well as reflections towards a future roadmap of possible actions. In conjunction with the European Network on Soil Awareness, the workshop would like to explore how the EU Soil Strategy and the Mission Soil can really drive a revolution in soil awareness by taking soil literacy and citizen engagement to a new level. The meeting will be an opportunity to share and explore best practices from a range of diverse perspectives and targeted stakeholders, as well as reflections towards a future roadmap of possible actions. Participants have a track-record in soil awareness raising while participating Mission Soil Projects have a strong soil awareness, citizen engagement or educational component.

SoilWise, ISLANDR, EDAPHOS, ARAGORN, and BENCHMARKS collaborated with EUSO for the development of the Technical Report: Harmonizing soil pollution data and knowledge in Europe: a collaborative effort towards achieving healthy soils by 2050. This report addresses soil pollution in the EU, supporting the implementation of the EU's Soil Monitoring Law (SML) and Zero Pollution Action Plan. This document presents the outcomes of workshop with several EU Mission projects on soil pollution, including the SoilWise, ISLANDR, EDAPHOS, ARAGORN, and BENCHMARKS projects. The report provides a comprehensive approach to harmonization and standardization of soil pollution data, essential for effective policy-making and decision-support. The report also provides information on the development of new policy measures, such as the EU's Soil Strategy and proposed Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience. This report hopes to serve ongoing and future Soil Mission projects with data harmonization for a higher dissemination and policy impact.

LivingSoil, ECHO, AI4SoilHealth, EDAPHOS, SPIN-FERT, BENCHMARKS, SOILSCAPE, NBSOIL, SUS-SOIL, Sol O-live, SoilWise, Humus, and SOILRES  presented their achievements and main scientific outputs  in the 5^th EUSO Stakeholder Forum “Cutting edge developments with the EU Mission Soil”, Seville 9.9.2025 during EUROSOIL2025 conference. The forum provided a platform for dynamic interaction and knowledge sharing among the soil community and in the EUROSOIL conference, the floor was given to Mission Soil projects to  highlight innovative advancements and breakthroughs

https://esdac.jrc.ec.europa.eu/euso/5th-euso-stakeholders-forum#PARTII

2024

AI4SoilHealth and EU Soil Observatory have developed the observed/typical soil organic carbon (O/T SOC) index. This is an advancment compared to the classical SOC to clay ration (SOC/clay). "Typical” SOC is the average concentration in different pedo-climate zones. Compared with SOC/clay, O/T SOC was less sensitive to clay content, land cover, and climate, less geographically skewed, and better reflected differences in soil porosity and SOC stock, supporting 2 EU Soil Health Mission objectives (consolidating SOC stocks; improving soil structure for crops and biota). The produced maps (available in ESDAC) illustrate the observed/typical soil organic carbon (SOC) index classes and the 12 pedoclimate zones, derived from LUCAS 2009-18 observations, to stratify the landscape into areas suitable for benchmarking soil organic carbon (SOC) concentrations for pan-European soil health assessment. The work has been documented in the publication.

ECHO and EU Soil Observatory have published the report: A review of existing tools for citizen science research on soil health. In this work, we reviewed over 60 citizen science projects, across the globe, that considered soil health. We collected citizen science projects based on literature searIn this work, we reviewed over 60 citizen science projects, across the globe, that considered soil health. We collected citizen science projects based on literature search, expert interviews, suggestions from project partners and through the mailing lists of the European Network for Soil Awareness (ENSA) and the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC). We then screened all projects for the following characteristics: geographic coverage, duration, scientific factors (e.g. soil properties considered, fieldwork), technological factors (e.g. applications used) and their citizen engagement (e.g. target groups). Two-thirds of the reviewed studies were based in Europe and mostly conducted at regional- or national scales. We recommend to align the citizen science methodology with the desired level of participation. We also identified a need for the development of standardised, user-friendly and costeffective methodologies to generate soil data.

AI4SoilHealth and EU Soil Observatory and  scientists from the University of Bucharest, supported by the EU’s NextGenerationEU instrument through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan of Romania have worked together for the development of the Land Degradation Assessment. This collaboration took place in the context of a Nature Communications  publication. The 12 indicators included in this land degradation assessment are: Water erosion, Wind erosion, Soil organic carbon loss, Soil salinization, Soil acidification, Soil compaction, Soil nutrient imbalances, Soil pollution via pesticides, Soil pollution via heavy metals, Vegetation degradation,  Groundwater decline and Aridity.

AI4SoilHealth , Soil O-LIVE and EU Soil Observatory have worked together to develop a Roadmap towards assessing soil health in the EU by 2030 achieving the Green Deal objectives. The body of knowledge will soon be enriched thanks to the investment of 1 billion euros towards the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, which has the ambition to promote the development of new harmonized bottom-up and top-down soil health indicators. New data and knowledge are also anticipated through the national soil monitoring schemes to support the implementation of the Soil Monitoring Law. This is drafted in the publication.

AI4SoilHealth and EU Soil Observatory have developed the Global soil erodibility (K) assessment including the effects of saturated hydraulic conductivity. This resulted in the dataset (available in ESDAC) and a publication which encompasses global soil erodibility (K) factor maps, with the K factor being estimated through the Wischmeier and Smith (1978) method. In addition, measured values of saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) have been incorporated into the original method to formulate the Ksat-based soil erodibility (Kksat factor) map.

AI4SoilHealth and EU Soil Observatory have worked together for the development of the EU Bulk density map. This collaboration took place in the context of a publication which applied a methodological framework using an advanced Cubist rule-based regression model to optimize the spatial prediction of bulk density in Europe. The EUSO spatialised the circa 6000 LUCAS samples and developed the high-resolution map (100 m) of bulk density for the 0–20 cm depth and the maps at 0–10 and 10–20 cm depth.

ECHO and EU Soil Observatory developed the first database on Soil health related citizen-science projects . Soil-related citizen science projects have gained significant interest driven by the prominence of soil within public policy agendas. EUSO in collaboration with ECHO makes a review on previous citizen science projects, initiatives and activities that have engaged citizens to monitor soil. The database includes all those initiatives.

2023

HuMUS has just launched an open call for pilot projects with the aim of fostering new spaces of dialogue for the participatory governance of soil health and quality issues at regional and/or local levels in Europe. A total budget of €600 000 will be allocated to fund 20 pilot project proposals led by municipalities, regions or other public entities. Participation is open also to private and non governmental stakeholders at local and regional levels, such as agricultural enterprises, associations of land managers (e.g., farmer associations), civil society organisations and research institutions throughout Europe. Deadline for submitting proposals is 29 February 2024. In addition to the funding, the HuMUS partners will provide coaching, mentoring and advice to support like-minded initiatives and contribute to raising awareness about the value of soil and the importance of tackling related issues in a participatory fashion. More info: https://humus-project.eu/open-call/  (Dec. 2023)

AI4SoilHealth and EU Soil Observatory have worked together for the development of the Global Soil Erodiblity dataset. EUSO has faciliated the data inputs in saturated hydraulic conductivity dataset. In addition, both parties have worked together for the Global K-factor development. This dataset encompasses global soil erodibility (K) factor maps, with the K factor being estimated through the Wischmeier and Smith (1978) method. In addition, measured values of saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) have been incorporated into the original method to formulate the Ksat-based soil erodibility (Kksat factor) map. A third k-factor dataset which was included in the GloSEM (Borrelli et al., 2017) is also included (Nov. 2023).

ECHO and EU Soil Observatory made a Call for contribution on "repository of citizen science projects on soil". Citizen engagement to promote soil health and bring soils closer to citizen’s values is a key objective of the EU Soil Observatory. Your expertise on citizen science in the context of soil research is valuable in achieving this objective. The ECHO project is a recent HORIZON research project on citizen science monitoring of soils funded under Mission Soil.  EUSO in collaboration with ECHO makes a review on previous citizen science projects, initiatives and activities that have engaged citizens to monitor soil. The aim is to have an overview of the current state of the art, creating a repository of potentially useful resources from past citizen science initiatives in the field. More inforamagtion about the call: https://esdac.jrc.ec.europa.eu/euso/citizen-engagement (Oct 2023).

SOIL O-LIVE and EUSO have signed the collaboration agreement No 36648. The collaboration indluces among others: a) Development of models and data for monitoring soil health in olive plantations; b) Transfer of project Data, knowledge and indicators to EU Soil Observatory;  c) Building capacity for policy support in soil related EU policies and d) scientific synergies as joint publications, workshops, seminars and exchange of data and knowledge (June 2023).