The Mission Soil project LILAS4SOILS (Living Labs in the Mediterranean and Southern EU for the Healthy Future of European Soils) has launched a call for contributions to help farmers implement carbon farming practices and improve the quality of their soil.
About the call
Agricultural soils in the Mediterranean and southern regions of the EU are highly vulnerable to degradation and desertification. Meanwhile, agriculture is one of the sectors with the greatest potential to adapt to and mitigate climate change, and this process begins with farmers.
The Mission Soil project LILAS4SOILS aims to foster carbon farming practices that preserve and enhance soil health, contributing to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
LILAS4SOILS project coordinator Sonia Pietosi explains:
'At LILAS4SOILS, we want to place farmers at the centre of our Living Labs. Farmers know their soil best and can take daily action to improve soil health. At the same time, they are often doing this alone.'
LILAS4SOILS Coordinator Sonia Pietosi
The project has already selected 35 farmers to implement carbon farming practices and aims to select 50 more through this open call to:
- co-create and implement carbon farming practices
- measure the impact on soil organic carbon
- design sustainable business models.
Selected farmers will receive EUR 5 000 per year over three years to compensate for their efforts.
‘We are looking for farmers who are passionate about carbon farming and regenerative agriculture, and who want to co-design, test and monitor the best combination of carbon farming practices for their soil and their farm,’ Pietosi stated.
Farmers are expected to engage fully with the project to assess how these practices affect soil health, the environment and their business.
'This is a unique opportunity for farmers to access knowledge and technical support while shaping the future of the agricultural sector,' the project coordinator stated.
About carbon farming practices
Carbon farming refers to a range of solutions for capturing and storing carbon in soil and plants, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while restoring and preserving healthy soils. These practices include peatland management, agroforestry, livestock and manure management, nutrient management and maintaining soil organic carbon.
To support this, LILAS4SOILS has established five Living Labs in six countries (France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Israel). Through these Living Labs, the project will foster the adoption of 19 types of carbon farming practices in 85–100 demonstration sites by working with farmers, agri-food businesses, researchers and local authorities.
'We want farmers to share their insights with other farmers, researchers and policymakers to develop policies that benefit both the environment and the sector,' Pietosi said.
How to apply
Learn more about the selection process on the LILA4SOILS website.
Interested farmers are invited to submit their applications online by 16 May 2025 (23:59 PM CEST).
Help spread the word! Share this open call with other farmers who might be interested in implementing carbon farming practices!