EU global footprint on soils

The use of bio-based products (e.g. food, feed, fibre, wood and biomass) by businesses and consumers in the EU has an impact on soil health globally. However, this impact has been poorly studied and understood. The European Commission has developed a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)-based framework to monitor the evolution of the overall environmental footprint of EU production and consumption and to compare it against planetary boundaries, the “EU Consumption Footprint Platform”. However, this framework does not sufficiently consider the specific impact on soil health and there is a need to enrich the existing indicators in terms of physical, chemical and biological soil properties.

An EU Global Soil Footprint framework would allow measuring the impact that a given activity has on soil health globally, measured in terms of soil degradation. Such a framework should also address the impact of the EU demand for bio-based products on global trade and the links to GDP and the Human Development Index. A crucial step will be to trace back relevant imported products (for final consumption or as inputs to EU production) to the country where they were originally produced. To this end, work can build upon previous work of the JRC on quantifying the land footprint of EU consumption[[See https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/967058]](opens in new window). Moreover, there is also a need to investigate further the carbon emissions produced from EU demand (carbon footprint), the impact of EU imports on ecotoxicity and eutrophication (contamination footprint) and soil biodiversity elsewhere, and the environmental impact and social inequalities due to land use change (in particular the effects on deforestation).

Proposed activities should:

• Develop and test a robust framework or tool (an EU Global Soil Footprint framework) to track, assess and establish a baseline for the global soil footprint of the EU demand for and import of bio-based products (e.g. food, feed, fibre, wood and biomass).
• Explore the positive and negative social, economic and environmental impacts of improved production systems elsewhere, including soil conservation and restoration actions, in their attempt to reduce the EU global footprint on soils.
• Bring forward policy recommendations aiming at minimising the EU’s global soil footprint. Identify obstacles and propose incentives for the uptake and scale-up of measures that can help reduce the EU’s global footprint.
• Carry out activities for communication and awareness raising on the EU’s global soil footprint and for the demonstration and dissemination of measures that can reduce the EU’s global soil footprint, in cooperation with international organisations such as UNCCD bodies, FAO or UNEP.

Cooperation with international partners is highly encouraged to engage a global network of experts in life-cycle analysis. In particular, the involvement of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) partners is encouraged, as this region encompasses more than 50% of the world biodiversity and is an important trading partner for the EU regarding bio-based products. In this sense, activities to be developed should be in line with the roadmap and action plan of the EU-CELAC Action Plan on Science, Technology and Innovation. Involvement of African partners is also encouraged.

When assessing the impact on soils, proposals should take into account the soil health indicators presented in the Mission Soil Implementation Plan and the soil descriptors in the proposed Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience.

Proposals should include dedicated tasks and appropriate resources for coordination measures and joint activities with other relevant projects and initiatives funded under the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, including engagement with the relevant cluster activities. Proposals are expected to build on the results of the SOLO project and its roadmap on knowledge gaps and opportunities[[ See Preliminary assessment of the knowledge gaps to reduce the EU global footprint on soils]]. Moreover, proposals should envision to collaborate with international organisations such as UNEP, UNCCD bodies, FAO and FARA[[ Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa – https://faraafrica.org/]]. Finally, proposals should consider synergies with SCAR-ARCH and Agricultural Research for Development.

Proposals should demonstrate a route towards open access, longevity, sustainability and interoperability of knowledge and outputs through close collaboration with the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO) and Life Cycle Assessment group and the SoilWise project.