Project description
Creating a soil health monitoring framework for Europe
Soils provide food, clean water, habitats for biodiversity and other important services. There is no life without them. In this context, the EU-funded BENCHMARKS project will co-design an Integrated Soil Health Monitoring Framework, which will build upon the assessment of soil-based ecosystem functions to co-develop an interactive soil health dashboard. The aim is to guide the selection of appropriate soil health indicators, soil health assessment and indexation, and recommendation of management practices to support soil health. The dashboard will be designed for different stakeholders in urban, agricultural and forestry land use systems. Its proposed indicators (sample-based measurements and data, and model-derived statistics), space and citizen science observations will be tested in landscape case studies across Europe.
Objective
Soil health is crucial for challenges related to climate, environment and society. As such, this Soil Health and Food Mission proposal directly links in to the other HE missions, as well as to the European Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategies. Both public and private sectors are proposing a sustainable vision, that depends on a reliable assessment of the effects of management and policy innovations on soil health. Therefore, there is an urgent need to ensure that the EU sets the benchmark of a reliable cost-effective framework for measuring soil health.
In alignment with existing initiatives such as EU Soil Observatory, EJP Soil and the LUCAS Topsoil survey, and using open science approaches, the BENCHMARKS consortium will co-design an Integrated Soil Health Monitoring Framework. This framework will build upon the assessment of soil-based ecosystem functions to co-develop an interactive soil health dashboard for (1) the selection of appropriate soil health indicators, (2) soil health assessment and indexation, and (3) recommendation of management practices to support soil health. The dashboard will be suitable at local, landscape, regional and European scales for a variety of stakeholders in urban, agricultural and forestry land use systems. BENCHMARKS indicators will be relevant to the stakeholder’s objectives, applicable to the different land use systems and pedo-climatic zone and appropriate in terms of logistical, financial and sensitivity requirements. To inform on the appropriate spatial resolution of indicators, the Soil Health Mission and BENCHMARKS proposed indicators (sample-based measurements, stats (data and model derived measurements), space (earth observation techniques)) and citizen science observations will be tested in 24 Living Labs across Europe. Finally, BENCHMARKS will support policy development and value-chain innovation through increased evidence on the links between soil health, functions and ecosystem services.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencessoil sciencesland-based treatment
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
- social sciencespolitical sciencespolitical policiescivil society
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicssustainable economy
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and management
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
6708 PB Wageningen
Netherlands
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Participants (24)
1220 Wien
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10178 BERLIN
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
00185 Roma
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1033 SE Amsterdam
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80138 Napoli
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28006 Madrid
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603 00 Brno
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6000-150 Castelo Branco
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08005 Barcelona
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8222 RB Lelystad
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
30430 CEHEGIN MURCIA
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27440 Lisors
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
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75007 Paris
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
54052 Nancy Cedex
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
91120 Palaiseau
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6708 PB Wageningen
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1000 Ljubljana
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00790 Helsinki
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7034 Trondheim
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601 77 Brno
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3004-531 Coimbra
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6708 PB Wageningen
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15374 Muencheberg
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Partners (4)
CB3 0DL Cambridge
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
OX2 7DE Oxford
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
5070 Frick
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4108 WITTERSWIL
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.