EUSO aims to support citizen engagement and
the drive towards a societal change in the perception of soils
____________________

 

Healthy soils are essential for all life-sustaining processes. Healthy soils provide essential ecosystem services and as such provide essential environmental, economic, and social benefits for society. In many cases, however, the value of soils lack appreciation from society. In turn, this often results in a lack of investment (both in terms of education and physical measures to protect soil) and a general political reluctance to adopt measures to preserve and enhance soil condition.

The EU Soil Strategy, the EU Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ and the Global Soil Partnership recognise the importance of these issues. All three call for a greater level of citizen engagement to raise awareness of the importance of soil to all stakeholders in and users of soil. This involves delivering tailored messages that help people understand how their actions can have an impact on soil health and, based on this knowledge, act in ways that benefit soils. 

The EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) supports public engagement actions. Some highlights:

• The EUSO Stakeholders Forum: A yearly event bringing together soil scientists, policy makers, regional and national bodies and interested citizens.
   
• European Mission Soil Week:
  • The Mission Soil Week 2023 was co-organised as a joint event between the European Commission, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI), the EU funded project PREPSOIL, and EUSO. Recordings and presentations can be accessed through this link.
  • The Mission Soil Week 2024 will be held on 12-13 November 2024.
     
• EUSO Soil Degradation Dashboard makes EU soil data easily accessible through an interactive platform and clearly communicate on the state of soil health in the EU.
   
• EU Academy course: “Soil, a burst of life - the hidden world beneath our feet”. How many organisms live in the soil? What do they do? Why would it be important to protect them? Discover and learn everything about soil biodiversity in this free online course developed by JRC's Soil Team. Videos, activities and quizes drive you through the incredible world living beneath your feet. Available course in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Dutch. Free registration on EU Academy.
   
• EUSO/ESDAC monthly newsletters include new datasets published in ESDAC, important policy developments and activities involving EUSO and ESDAC. The newsletter is sent to more than 13 000 subscribers, including interested people from academia, businesses and policy as well as interested citizens. Archive of newsletters, subscription form and more information can be found through this link.
   
• Mission Soil Manifesto: The EUSO has contributed to a broad acceptance of the EU Mission Soil Manifesto. The Manifesto highlights the urgent need for action to protect soil health. It represents a key step for further local engagement by mobilising regions, municipalities, businesses, schools, and other stakeholders, as well as citizens. All details available at this link.
   
• JRC Soil Atlases:  ESDAC/EUSO has published seven soil atlases. They are the result of fruitful collaborations with researchers and institutes worldwide. Raising awareness is the main aim of this series of soil atlases.