EURICE Takes on Two New EU Mission Soil Projects to Advance Soil Health
As part of the EU Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”, the European Commission aims to establish 100 living labs and lighthouses by 2030 to lead the transition towards healthy soils for food, people, nature, and climate. In line with this ambition, EURICE is part of the two new Mission Soil projects ProPollSoil and Nemesis, both launched this October, addressing key challenges in soil health.
ProPollSoil is set to improve knowledge on how soil management practices and contamination threaten soil-dependent pollinators. Pollinators, such as bees, hoverflies, wasps, beetles, and ants are crucial for sustaining biodiversity, agriculture, and food security. They rely on healthy soils for parts of their life cycle, yet the impact of soil degradation and contamination on their survival remains poorly understood. Focusing on the interactions between soils and the health of soil-dependent pollinators, ProPollSoil explores how soil degradation threatens these species – and how smarter soil management can help protect them.
Nemesis has the mission to combat desertification in the Mediterranean. According to the European Commission, more than 25% of soils in the EU are at high or very high risk of desertification, with Mediterranean countries being among the most vulnerable. Desertification undermines food security, intensifies water scarcity, threatens biodiversity, and fuels economic and social instability. Nemesis addresses these challenges by “co-establishing” five interconnected Living Labs across Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus and North Africa, each one tackling a unique challenge for soil health, such as soil-water management, soil-biodiversity or cross-border soil management. Through the five Living Labs, Nemesis ensures the continuing development and testing of soil-management practices to counteract desertification in this vulnerable region.
Nemesis and ProPollSoil are two of 13 new Mission Soil projects in total. Find out more and see the full list in the latest EU Mission Soil Newsletter.
Learn more about EURICE’s projects tackling pressing global soil, food and environmental challenges here.
