Project EJP SOIL - Towards climate-smart sustainable management of agricultural soils
The European Joint Program on Soil EJP SOIL - Towards climate-smart sustainable management of agricultural soils project is dedicated to the creation of an integrated European research system, developing a harmonized framework of soil knowledge and developing capacity building and awareness on the importance of soil, in line with the activities envisaged as part of Horizon Europe's Soil Health and Food mission, in the development of the European Soil Observatory of the European Commission, contributing to food security, adaptation and mitigation of climate change and the development of the bioeconomy.
The scientific goal is to develop new knowledge on climate-smart agricultural soil management, evaluate the costs and benefits of the synergy between sustainable agricultural production, climate change mitigation and adaptation, soil degradation, biodiversity, soil quality and other ecosystem services. , including erosion control, for sustainable and smart management.
The project is coordinated by the Institut National de Recherche for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE, France), and the partnership is made up of 26 beneficiaries from 24 European countries. Italy participates with the coordination of CREA, and ISPRA, as a third party, dedicates its activities to the harmonization of information and research aimed at environmental sustainability, in particular on satellite monitoring tools and the accounting of organic carbon in soils and ecosystems related projects (STEROPES and SOMMIT projects), for the assessment of ecosystem services in soils project (SERENA) and for monitoring soil biodiversity (MINOTAUR).
The methods and tools that are being defined represent for decision makers at national and local level fundamental elements for planning, planning and management of the territory, in line with the forecasts of the European Strategy for soils.