EU's €320m Horizon Europe Mission Targets Transition to Healthy Soils by 2030
The European Union (EU) has introduced a new €320 million Horizon Europe mission aimed at providing funding to accelerate the transition to healthy soils by 2030, as part of its overarching Green Deal agenda. This initiative serves as a complement to the recently launched European Soil Observatory. The European Commission (EC) intends to incentivize sustainable farming practices, such as afforestation and soil conservation, while establishing guidelines to identify activities that effectively remove carbon from the atmosphere.
The EC estimates that the current annual cost of soil degradation exceeds €50 billion. The goal is to raise the proportion of healthy soils in each member state to a minimum of 75%. The mission will prioritize research in carbon farming and soil monitoring, with a particular focus on advancing digital and data technologies to enhance carbon removal efficiency and improve emissions estimates. This will be achieved through the establishment of "living labs" and "lighthouses" that facilitate experimentation and showcase best practices. The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) has expressed support and welcomed this initiative.
