Welcome to the first newsletter of the Mission 'A Soil Deal for Europe' (Mission Soil)!

By subscribing to this newsletter, you will become part of a community of organisations, institutions, companies and individuals who share a common goal: to protect and restore soil health.

You will be informed about the Mission Soil activities, from the latest news and events to project updates, calls for proposals, policy developments and much more! 

You can also read the French and German version of this Newsletter. 

What is the Mission Soil about?

The Mission Soil is an instrument funded by the European Union under the Research and Innovation Framework Programme Horizon Europe. It aims to create 100 living labs (places for on-the-ground experiments) and lighthouses (sites for showcasing good practices) to lead the transition towards healthy soils by 2030. Currently, about 60% of soils in the EU are considered to be unhealthy (see Dashboard of the European Soil Observatory).

The Mission is also implementing an ambitious research and innovation programme, promoting harmonised soil monitoring in the EU, and increasing public awareness and engagement in soil protection and restoration. Activities under the Mission aim at finding solutions to major soil health challenges in rural and urban areas and contribute to its specific objectives: 

1. Reduce desertification
2. Conserve soil organic carbon stock
3. Stop soil sealing and increase re-use of urban soils
4. Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration
5. Prevent erosion
6. Improve soil structure to enhance soil biodiversity
7. Reduce the EU global footprint on soils
8. Improve soil literacy in society