Towards climate-smart sustainable management of agricultural soils

Societies depend on soil. Fertile and productive soil is the foundation of our existence and the prerequisite for a stable supply of food, fiber, animal feed, timber and other biomasses. Soil sustains biodiversity and contributes to the provision of a wide range of ecosystem services, and as the largest store of carbon on land, it is also in the nexus of global climate challenges. Soil is part of the solution to realizing the SDGs. The threat of global warming makes climate-smart sustainable agricultural soil management crucial. The EU-funded EJP SOIL project will create an enabling environment to enhance the contribution of agricultural soils to key societal challenges such as climate change adaptation and mitigation, sustainable agricultural production, ecosystem services provision as well as prevention and restoration of land and soil degradation.

FACTS

• Duration: 2020 – 2025

• Website: www.ejpsoil.org

• Contact: Claire Chenu and Saskia Visser

• E-mail: claire.chenu@inrae.fr and WR, saskia.visser@wur.nl

• Budget: € 80 000 000

• Partners: Network of 26 leading European research institutes and universities in 24 countries.

Calls

1. Co-fund call on Towards climate-smart sustainable management of agricultural soils

2. 2nd Internal call fill research and development gaps identified by the “Roadmap for the European Joint Program SOIL” and the annual work program of the EJP SOIL for year two

3. 1st External Call to foster holistic agricultural (forestry soils are not excluded) soil management practices which will assist in making a shift to diversify farming to include a variety of sustainable and environmental practices

4. 3rd Internal call fill research and development gaps identified by the “Roadmap for the European Joint Program SOIL” and the annual work program of the EJP SOIL for year three

5. 2nd External Call to foster farm management practices, which contribute to climate change mitigation and adaption