🌱Welcome to LILAS4SOILS #1 Newsletter🌱 |
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Dear LILAS4SOILS partners, Happy New Year! We are pleased to introduce the first LILAS4SOILS newsletter. This marks the beginning of an exciting new phase in the EU Soil Mission and our collective efforts to address soil degradation, enhance carbon sequestration, and transform agricultural practices across Europe. LILAS4SOILS is a Research and Innovation Action funded by Horizon Europe and under the EU Mission "Soil Deal for Europe". Over the next five years, this €11.5 million project, coordinated by EIT Food, will promote the adoption of Carbon Farming Practices and work to restore soil health in Mediterranean and Southern European regions. |
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The Living Lab Approach: A Collaborative Model for Innovation |
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A Living Lab is a real-world testing environment where innovation is co-created by engaging a diverse range of stakeholders, including researchers, businesses, policymakers, and local communities. These collaborative spaces enable the development and testing of solutions in actual contexts, ensuring innovations are user-driven and adaptable to local conditions. |
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| In the LILAS4SOILS project, five Living Labs (LLs) will be implemented across six Mediterranean countries to test Carbon Farming practices. These LLs will involve farmers, researchers, and communities in the co-creation process, ensuring that solutions are practical and relevant. By fostering active stakeholder engagement and using an adaptive, real-world approach, the project aims to create sustainable, region-specific carbon farming practices that improve soil health and support long-term environmental goals. |
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The results from these LLs will provide valuable insights into scaling carbon farming practices for broader sustainability efforts. These LLs will be part of the pioneering 25 from the EU Mission Soil, which aims to launch 100 LLs in total. |
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The EU Soil Mission: Addressing the Challenge of Unhealthy Soils |
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The Soil Mission is a key component of the EU Green Deal, focused on tackling soil degradation, improving soil health, and fostering sustainable land management practices. With between 60 and 70% of EU soils currently being classified as unhealthy, the mission aims to restore soil quality, safeguard biodiversity, and ensure long-term food security. |
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LILAS4SOILS plays a crucial role in supporting these objectives. Through the demonstration of carbon farming practices, the project will help mitigate the impact of agriculture on climate change, contribute to achieving the EU’s climate neutrality targets, and ensure that soils across Europe are healthier, more productive, and better equipped to store carbon. |
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What Is Carbon Farming and Why Is It Essential? |
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| Carbon farming involves agricultural practices designed to capture and store carbon in soils. As a natural solution to climate change, carbon farming is essential for reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint while enhancing soil health and resilience. Over the course of the LILAS4SOILS project, 19 Carbon Farming Practices will be demonstrated, grouped into 5 categories: Peatland Management, Agroforestry, Nutrient Management, Livestock Management, and Soil Organic Carbon enhancement. |
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Through these practices, LILAS4SOILS aims to demonstrate how carbon farming can contribute to a zero-emission agricultural system, enhance soil health, and help mitigate the impacts of climate change. |
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Looking Ahead: What’s Next for LILAS4SOILS? |
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In the coming months, LILAS4SOILS will launch its Living Labs and experimental sites, providing a platform for farmers, researchers, industry and policy experts to collaborate and share knowledge. Over the next five years, the project will generate critical data on soil health and carbon sequestration, paving the way for evidence-based policy and business decisions that support sustainable agriculture. As the project progresses, we look forward to providing regular updates on the latest findings, results, and opportunities for stakeholders to get involved. We invite you to follow our journey and stay informed as we work toward a more sustainable future for Europe’s soils. For more information about the project, please visit our website: www.lilas4soils.eu or contact us at lilas4soils@bgi.pt. |
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LILAS4SOILS was officially launched as a groundbreaking project aimed at transforming European agriculture towards healthier soils and zero-emission carbon farming, bringing together 24 partners from 8 European countries to foster innovation and resilience in the Mediterranean and Southern European regions.
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| European Mission Soil Week |
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LILAS4SOILS attended the European Mission Soil Week in Brussels, Belgium, from 12-14 November 2024, where participants discovered the first Mission Soil Living Labs, strengthened network collaboration, and explored inspiring examples of sustainable soil management. |
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| LILAS4SOILS was in Málaga from 26-28 November 2024, Spain, where the team led a panel discussion on soil health monitoring and Carbon Farming practices. |
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LILAS4SOILS Living Labs launch |
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| The LILAS4SOILS Living Labs launch in February and March! Follow us on our social media @lilas4soils and visit our website for updates, team insights, and ways to get involved. |
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| LILAS4SOILS is launching an open call in March 2025 to select 50 farmers ready to improve soil health through Carbon Farming Practices. Join us to explore how Carbon Farming Practices can improve the soil health of your farms! |
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| LILAS4SOILS is heading to the EU Carbon Farming Summit in Dublin, 4–6 March. Let us know if you’d like to connect at the summit! |
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Together, we can create a sustainable future for our soils, our farmers, and our planet. Thank you for joining us on this journey! |
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Warm regards, The LILAS4SOILS Team |
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© Copyright, 2026, lilas4soils@bgi.pt |
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