During the first months, in the InBestSoil project, we made substantial progress. In the context of our case studies, a comprehensive mapping of more than 200 relevant stakeholders (involved or related with the activities of the case studies) was completed, ensuring broad representation across the soil health value chain. This initial mapping has enabled effective engagement with diverse groups and supported the development of a collaborative digital platform. The platform (Soilcommunity.app) now fully operational, facilitates interaction among project partners, other European projects, and external stakeholders, fostering the co-development of business cases related to soil health. The SoilCommunity Platform was consolidated as a shared engagement and co-learning space across multiple EU soil projects, hosting six cross-project webinars with 471 participants. Also, co-creation activities moved beyond engagement towards actionable outcomes, with preparatory work initiated to translate results into operational frameworks for the creation of new LLs. Soil health assessment and integrated evaluation delivered a comprehensive dataset combining soil health indicators, LCA, ecosystem service valuation, and cost–benefit analysis across LLs and LHs. Despite inherited delays in sampling and laboratory analyses, all key milestones were achieved or rescheduled without negative spillovers to other WPs. Innovations included the calibration of infrared spectroscopy for rapid soil health assessment, the integration of LCA with economic environmental valuation, and evidence-based comparisons of management practices highlighting environmental and economic trade-offs. Further advancing our objectives, a novel European Sustainable Business Model framework for soil health was developed based on a systematic review of 215 studies and empirical validation with farmers and foresters. Large-scale econometric analysis of 2,728 farms provided robust evidence on trade-offs between productivity and soil health, while forestry and agroforestry case studies delivered transferable evaluation tools. Food system modelling at EU level was initiated to assess large-scale impacts of soil-health-oriented practices. Also, we advanced by identifying institutional barriers and drivers for sustainable soil management, focusing on cross-sector partnerships and commons-based governance. Empirical validation activities were launched in LLs and LHs, supporting the operationalization of previously developed protocols and laying the groundwork for validated soil-health-based business models. We also delivered key outputs on soil health certification and economic incentive schemes. Soil health indicators were successfully integrated into discussions on carbon farming certification, proposing soil health as a certified co-benefit. A comprehensive toolbox of financial and economic incentives was developed, grounded in EU and national policy analysis and case study evidence. Initial synthesis activities towards co-created policy recommendations were initiated.
