Scope of the Mission
Life on earth depends on healthy soils. Soil is the foundation of our food systems. It provides clean water and habitats for biodiversity while contributing to climate resilience. It supports our cultural heritage and landscapes and is the basis of our economy and prosperity.
However, it is estimated that more than 60% of EU soils are unhealthy. Soil is a fragile resource that needs to be carefully managed and safeguarded for future generations. One centimetre of soil can take hundreds of years to form, but can be lost in just a single rainstorm or industrial incident.
The Soil Mission leads the transition towards healthy soils by funding an ambitious research and innovation programme with a strong social science component putting in place an effective network of 100 living labs and lighthouses to co-create knowledge, test solutions and demonstrate their value in real-life conditions developing a harmonised framework for soil monitoring in Europe, and raising awareness on the vital importance of soils.
We are calling on regions, municipalities, private or public companies, organisations, associations, schools, educational institutes, universities, research institutions and a wide range of stakeholders as well as individuals to sign the Mission Soil Manifesto and become part of a community that cares for soil.
More information
- Mission Implementation Platform (MIP): Discover more on Mission Soil, progress, funded projects, activities and tools to promote cooperation between projects and Mission Soil communities, funding opportunities, news, and events
- Newsletter Subscription: Stay updated by subscribing to the mission's newsletter
- Funding and Tenders Portal: Explore funding opportunities and open calls related to the mission
Contact
For enquiries related to the EU Mission on Soil, please contact:
EU-HORIZON-MISSION-SOIL
ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (EU-HORIZON-MISSION-SOIL[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
Documents
The Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe' will support the transition towards healthy soils by 2030 by putting in place an effective network of 100 living labs and lighthouses in rural and urban areas.
Together with the Soil Strategy, the upcoming Soil Health Law, the European Soil Observatory and climate policies (such as for carbon farming) the Mission is part of a robust framework for soil protection in the EU.
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Latest
The info days dedicated to the five EU Missions under Horizon Europe will be held on 22 and 23 May 2025 on the research and innovation community platform.
Thirty-three projects selected under three calls of Horizon Europe Missions have signed their grant agreements with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).
Related links
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