PREPSOIL: A Multi-Stakeholder Initiative for Healthy Soil Management in Europe

PREPSOIL focuses on restoring ecosystem services such as climate mitigation, water infiltration, and food production by addressing key challenges like desertification, carbon loss, erosion, and nutrient pollution. Central to its approach is the engagement of diverse stakeholders to co-create knowledge and promote sustainable soil management practices. Through collaborative networks, educational programs, and digital tools, PREPSOIL seeks to bridge gaps in understanding, foster innovation, and scale solutions for healthier soils. The initiative’s long-term goal is to ensure resilient land use systems that balance economic viability with environmental stewardship.

Keywords: soil degradation, climate mitigation, regenerative agriculture, soil carbon stocks, nutrient pollution, ecosystem services, living labs, sustainable land management, knowledge hubs;

The Decline of Soil Health and Its Far-Reaching Consequences

Soil degradation in Europe poses a critical threat to agricultural productivity, climate resilience, and ecosystem stability. Intensive farming practices, including excessive chemical inputs and heavy machinery use, have accelerated erosion, carbon loss, and nutrient pollution, particularly in regions like Denmark where proximity to water bodies exacerbates environmental harm. The consolidation of farms and economic pressures further strain soil health, creating barriers for transitioning to sustainable practices and generational succession. Beyond agriculture, degraded soils undermine essential ecosystem services such as water infiltration, biodiversity support, and climate regulation, with long-term consequences for food security and natural resource availability. Without intervention, these trends risk irreversible damage to Europe’s land resources, amplifying economic and environmental vulnerabilities for land users and communities.

Engaging stakeholders through knowledge co-creation and advocacy networks

The initiative adopts a collaborative approach by engaging diverse stakeholders, including land users, farmers, advisors, scientists, and market actors, to co-create knowledge and solutions for sustainable soil management. Existing communities of practice are leveraged to spread awareness and best practices, ensuring that decades of experience are recognized and shared. A network of soil advocates is being established, supported by digital tools such as a web forum, PrepSoil TV, and a multilingual knowledge hub where stakeholders can submit and access resources in various formats. Soil needs assessments have been conducted across 20 European regions to identify localized challenges and opportunities, forming the basis for targeted interventions. The method emphasizes real-life settings, such as living labs and lighthouses, to test and refine soil management practices across different land use types, including agriculture, forestry, and natural ecosystems.

Revitalized soil health and sustainable land management across Europe

The initiative aims to reverse soil degradation trends by promoting practices that enhance soil carbon stocks, reduce erosion, and mitigate desertification. This will contribute to improved agricultural productivity, water retention, and climate resilience in European ecosystems. By fostering collaboration among farmers, scientists, and policymakers, the project seeks to develop scalable solutions tailored to regional needs. The establishment of living labs and knowledge-sharing platforms will accelerate the adoption of regenerative practices, ensuring long-term soil health. Additionally, the initiative will reduce nutrient pollution in water bodies, particularly in regions like Denmark, where agricultural runoff poses significant environmental risks.

Unique Selling Proposition

The initiative uniquely bridges multi-stakeholder collaboration with real-world implementation through living labs and lighthouses, fostering co-creation of sustainable soil management practices across Europe’s diverse land-use systems. By integrating decades-long community expertise with scalable knowledge-sharing platforms, it transforms fragmented efforts into a unified, actionable movement for soil health.

This article was generated with the support of artificial intelligence. While it has been reviewed and edited for clarity and accuracy, the primary content was generated by an AI tool.

• MAIA Webinar: Climate Change and Agriculture: Healthy Nutrient Soil
• Project PREPSOIL
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