What is the Mission Soil?

The EU Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ (Mission Soil) is one of five Missions funded under the EU Research and Innovation (R&I) Programme Horizon Europe. Its goal is to create 100 Living Labs and Lighthouses by 2030 to promote sustainable land and soil management in urban and rural areas.

Learn more about this Mission

Living Labs and Lighthouses

Learn how Living Labs and Lighthouses can help to experiment and showcase good practices for sustainable land management. Work with researchers and land managers to find real-life solutions to societal challenges.

Learn more about Living Labs

Why is soil biodiversity important?

Delve into our latest video released for the annual World Biodiversity Day, on how initiatives led by Mission Soil are actively transforming the understanding around soil biodiversity into tangible results, ensuring healthier soils for a sustainable future.

Watch the video about soil biodiversity here

Latest news

Thursday, 19 June 2025

EU reaches agreement on first-ever Soil Monitoring Law

On 4 June 2025, the European Parliament’s ENVI Committee voted in favour of the provisional agreement on the EU’s first Soil Monitoring Law. The directive sets out a harmonised monitoring framework to achieve healthy soils across the EU by 2050, addressing the urgent challenge of soil degradation—currently affecting an estimated 60–70% of soils in the Union.

Tuesday, 17 June 2025

UNESCO signs Mission Soil Manifesto, strengthening global commitment to soil health

On 18 June 2025, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) signed the Mission Soil Manifesto becoming the first international governmental organisation to endorse it. The ceremony took place in Brussels, in the presence of Lidia Arthur Brito, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, and Christophe Hansen, the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Food.

Thursday, 5 June 2025

Free webinar – “Unlocking the power of open data for soil health”

Discover how the revolutionary EU Soil Health Data Cube is set to transform the way we manage soil across Europe. In this free webinar hosted by the Soil Association, you’ll get an exclusive look at this powerful new tool that helps farmers, land managers, and policymakers model future soil health and tackle climate change impacts.