Ambassadors

Mission Soil Ambassadors are committed advocates working to raise awareness about soil health, improve soil literacy across society, or for environmental sustainability. Coming from diverse backgrounds and selected for their outstanding contributions in areas such as sustainable agriculture and businesses, biodiversity, conservation, and scientific and environmental communication, these Ambassadors promote the importance of soil health at local, regional, national, or European levels.

Ambassadors support the goals of the Mission Soil by fostering collaboration, encouraging action to protect and restore soil, and engaging with communities and networks. Through public outreach, education, and peer-to-peer learning, they connect communities, stakeholders, and initiatives, helping to build a more resilient future for Europe’s soil.

Check their profiles below and learn more about the Mission Soil Platform.

The ambassadors act in their personal capacity and do not represent the European Commission. The views and opinions expressed by the ambassadors are solely their own and do not reflect the official position of the European Commission.

Results: 21 - 30 of 32

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The Ambassadors

Name

Irena Ateljevic

Email

irena@terrameera.com

Bio

Irena Ateljevic is the founder of Terra Meera, a Center for Regeneration in Croatia’s Šibenik-Knin County. With a PhD from New Zealand and teaching roles at universities worldwide, including the top sustainability-focused Wageningen University, Irena is a distinguished scholar, social entrepreneur, and senior policy advisor. A regular keynote speaker at international conferences, she amplifies her voice on global environmental challenges. As the founder of Regenerate Europe, an annual conference organized with Aspira University College in Split, she drives cross-sectoral regeneration. Her recent project, Ajmo Lokalno (Let's Go Local), developed with Šibenik-Knin County, promotes soil literacy and short food supply chains by connecting local farmers, businesses, and consumers.

Statement

Based in Croatia’s Šibenik-Knin County, a region shaped by the aftermath of the Croatian civil war and the rise of mass tourism reliant on imported industrial foods, I am committed to restoring abandoned lands and conserving organic soil carbon stocks. Through all my projects, I aim to improve soil literacy, raise awareness, and connect local farmers, businesses, and consumers to foster sustainable practices, grow regenerative farms, protect soil health, and inspire soil restoration efforts.

Specific Mission Soil Objectives

2. Conserve and increase soil organic carbon stocks
8. Increase soil literacy in society across Member States

Location

United Kingdom

Social Media

Name

James Godfrey-Faussett

Email

james@healingearthproject.com

Bio

James is the founder of Healing Earth Project, set up to look at innovative ways we can restore arid, degraded landscapes without the need for irrigation. With a background in urban reforestation, James's focus is now turning to larger scale restoration projects where soil erosion and soil health are increasingly becoming major issues.
His works also includes trial projects within Greece to look at how holistically improving soil health and bringing back biodiversity into olive groves can go a long way to addressing issues such as the over reliance on chemical inputs, water shortages and increasing soil salinity.
James is also a Linkedin Top Green Voice and uses this a platform for sharing of knowledge!

Statement

Soil isn't something we can magically manufacture - it's way too complex ! We need to protect our precious soils and the complex, magical diversity that makes them function. Everything starts with covering the soil - be that living cover crops and plants or mulches to build biomass.
Within nature bare soil is a wound that needs covering and healing. By taking this simple first step and covering the soil we can start the healing process that leads to abundance.

Specific Mission Soil Objectives

1. Reduce land degradation relating to desertification
5. Prevent erosion
6. Improve soil structure to enhance habitat quality for soil biota and crops

Name

Béla Jankovich de Jeszenice

Bio

As an experienced entrepreneur, board member and investor, I am passionate to create healthy landscapes and resilient ecosystems to help fight climate change and biodiversity loss. Soil health is central in that endeavor. I believe this can be done successfully with a holistic approach, together with stakeholders, a long term view and a sound business case at its base.
I feel equally at home with the local operators on the farms I am leading as in the board rooms of international for-profit and non profit organisations. My learnings from farm level operations and local communities, to large scale landscape restoration, including deep knowledge of applied technology that enables these processes, benefit both.

Statement

As a farmer with a multi generational view, there is no doubt there is only a future for us with a healthy soil at its base. Witnessing first hand the negative impacts of conventional farm practices on soil health, we have changed to regenerative farming practices on our farm several years ago, the impact is noticeable! We will continue to implement practices aiming to improve the soil and the ecosystem, and share results with the wider community.

Specific Mission Soil Objectives

4. Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration
5. Prevent erosion
6. Improve soil structure to enhance habitat quality for soil biota and crops

Name

Catherine Farrell

Email

mission-soil-ambassadors@ecologic.eu

Bio

Catherine Farrell PhD CIEEM is a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Natural Sciences and Adjunct Teaching Fellow in Trinity Business School at Trinity College Dublin. A pioneer of peatland restoration and research in Ireland and internationally, Catherine has furthered her experience by developing and delivering wetland, coastal, and woodland conservation, and restoration projects. Throughout, taking both a systems and trans-disciplinary perspective, stakeholder engagement is a key part of her collaborative approaches.
Her current research as part of BiOrbic, the National Bioeconomy Research Centre Ireland, focuses on developing mechanisms to structure, finance, monitor and communicate the direct impacts and broader societal benefits of nature restoration (www.refarm.ie).

Statement

As a restoration ecologist I have experienced first hand the importance of healthy soils for people and nature. Increasingly, I feel strongly that we must promote regenerative soil practices so that we can ensure healthy systems for food production and nature resilience. It is my mission to raise awareness of healthy ecosystems, and particularly to empower people to take action for nature, armed with knowledge of the importance of our soils.

Specific Mission Soil Objectives

2. Conserve and increase soil organic carbon stocks
6. Improve soil structure to enhance habitat quality for soil biota and crops
8. Increase soil literacy in society across Member States

Location

Bratya Daskalovi | Bulgaria

Name

Galina Peycheva-Miteva

Email

galina.peycheva@trakia-rm.com

Bio

Galina Peycheva-Miteva is a Bulgarian landowner and land manager. She has been managing the family farm since 2007 and has introduced minimal tillage, extensive crop rotation and bio-regenerative practices on the estate.
The farm grows perennials, including roses and lavender, and manages a 62-hectare vineyard. In addition, the farm portfolio includes milk thistle, alfalfa, sunflower, peas, oil-seed rape, wheat and barley organised in a crop rotation which maximises soil health and resources.
In 2021 the estate built a distillery in order to process the essential oils from the flowers and ensure maximum quality control of the essences. 
Galina Peycheva-Miteva is the proud recipient of the Soil Award for 2017. She lives in Plovdiv, Bulgaria with her husband and her two sons.

Statement

As farmers we are temporary custodians of the land whose duty is to preserve it for the future generations. I am convinced that soil health is the basis for farm productivity. My mission as a farmer is to constantly test, develop and improve the different sets of measures and practices that will help us preserve, maintain and hopefully improve the health of our soul.

Specific Mission Soil Objectives

4. Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration
5. Prevent erosion
6. Improve soil structure to enhance habitat quality for soil biota and crops

Name

Māra Lieplapa

Email

mission-soil-ambassadors@ecologic.eu

Bio

Māra Lieplapa is the CEO and co-founder of PLŪKT Nordic tea brand, one of the most sustainable tea brands out there. PLŪKT is on a mission to preserve the natural biodiversity of wild organic meadows and forests by collecting only wild herbs for their premium herbal teas. At the core there is fermented fireweed, a local alternative to traditional black teas. PLŪKT has gained recognition in 23 export countries by proving that quality natural products can be made ethically, sustainably and still have a scalable and exclusive approach to international markets. Māra has been acknowledged as the Young Entrepreneur of the year, is VISA She's Next Award recipient, her brand has been awarded with Baltic sustainability award, two times Baltic ecommerce star, The trade mark of the year.

Statement

PLŪKT Nordic tea brand represents wild meadows, and we are directly impacted by any changes in the health of the soil. By hand-picking and promoting naturally grown herbs, we encourage tea lovers (and everyone, really) to appreciate the rich flavours, vivid colours and various health benefits of wild herbs. This is rarely the case for cultivated and chemically treated conventional herbs. I'm committed to raising awareness of biodiversity through my active presence in international events.

Specific Mission Soil Objectives

6. Improve soil structure to enhance habitat quality for soil biota and crops
8. Increase soil literacy in society across Member States

Name

Sheila Darmos

Bio

Sheila Darmos is a third generation farmer and a social entrepreneur in the agri-food sector and civic engagement field in Greece.
Her key focuses lie within her lived physical and social environment, namely the farming and rural communities, and thus a systemic approach to enable transitions towards regeneration in a holistic way.
Her dedication to soil and thus ecosystem restoration translates into her key aims of transforming the farming sector in Greece through her initiative “Regenerative Farming Greece”, and is evident also in her own farming operation on “The Southern Lights” farm, in the community projects she runs through her non-profit organisation “The Southern Lights”, in trainings and public speeches in Greece and Europe through her active involvement in EARA.

Statement

Soil is the foundation of thriving livelihoods, while mirroring at the same time the health of our communities. I consider access to soil and the ability to regenerate it to be essential part of our human experience and intertwined with our own well-being, and thus our human and non-human communities well-being.

Specific Mission Soil Objectives

1. Reduce land degradation relating to desertification
5. Prevent erosion
6. Improve soil structure to enhance habitat quality for soil biota and crops

Location

Tara Calatei-Kalotaszeg region, Sancraiu commune, Cluj county | Romania

Social Media

Name

Miklos Attila Szocs-Boruss

Email

attila@alpa.land

Bio

Attila holds a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering in Agriculture and is dedicated to the socially and environmentally equitable use of farmland. With extensive expertise in national and European land and rural development policies, he has coordinated multiple reports and policy analyses on farmland management, agroecology, and rural development. Attila is a co-founder and board member of ALPA (Access to Land for Agroecology), where he advocates for the implementation of agroecology at both territorial and farm levels. He is also steering group member of the Access to Land Europe Network where he involves into advocacy and knowledge-exchange activities around the issue if land and agroecology.

Statement

Soil is the foundation of life and a keystone in sustaining biodiversity, environmental and cultural regeneration and climate resilience. In my work with ALPA, I strive to secure farmland for agroecological practices that protect and enrich soil health, ensuring it remains a viable resource for future generations. We collaborate with farmers to adopt soil-friendly practices, raise public awareness, and advocate for policies that recognize soil as a vital ecosystem.

Specific Mission Soil Objectives

4. Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration
6. Improve soil structure to enhance habitat quality for soil biota and crops
8. Increase soil literacy in society across Member States

Name

Justina Kaučikienė

Email

info@smelyneukis.lt

Bio

Justina Kaučikienė is a farmer and co-founder of Smelynė Ūkis in Lithuania, where she and her husband apply holistic management and regenerative farming principles. Her journey into farming began with a personal search for healthier food for her family, which led to a deep understanding of the connection between soil health, food quality, and human well-being. Today, she actively shares this message through conferences, media appearances, and educational initiatives, advocating for the care of soil as a foundation for both environmental sustainability and nutritional health. In 2024, her farm was recognised as the Baltic Farmer of the Year.

Statement

Knowing that our lives depend on just a few centimeters of soil fills me with deep respect and responsibility. I’m committed to protecting and regenerating it through holistically planned grazing that works with nature, not against it. By sharing our experience through workshops and storytelling, I hope to inspire others to care for the soil that sustains us all.

Specific Mission Soil Objectives

4. Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration
6. Improve soil structure to enhance habitat quality for soil biota and crops
8. Increase soil literacy in society across Member States

Location

Luxembourg

Name

Karine Paris

Email

karine@cell.lu

Bio

Karine has been working in the field of agro-ecology and permaculture for over 10 years, supporting the Luxembourg community gardens. In recent years, she has taken a particular interest in soil health. After following Elaine Ingham's course (Soil Food Web), she intends to pursue her mission and contribute to the transition from current agricultural practices to regenerative practices.

Statement

"Connection to the living implies awareness of the existence of the invisible."
Elaine Ingham's course introduced me to this world. Since then, I've had a radical vision of the mistreatment of soils, industrial chemicals and pollutants, which goes hand in hand with the mistreatment of all living things.

Specific Mission Soil Objectives

4. Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration
6. Improve soil structure to enhance habitat quality for soil biota and crops
8. Increase soil literacy in society across Member States