SOIL:OurInvisibleAlly

Facilitating implementation of EU soil legislation in Alpine municipalities, thus seizing transnational knowledge, mutual learning & concrete, cross-sectoral implementation on local level

Soil is a mostly overlooked, yet indispensable ally for the achievement of climate resilience (CR): healthy & living soils provide & support ecosystem services, improve biodiversity, mitigate CC effects on society & the environment, & support healthy living conditions. 

EU wide legislation as EU Soil Monitoring & Resilience Directive, Soil Strategy 2030, Action Plan of the Alpine Convention Soil Protection Working Group (AC-SWG) or EUSALP AG6/7 activities show the urgency of soil action. It is particularly needed in mountain areas where soil & space are especially scarce & threatened. For these frameworks, the governance level for integrated, cross-sectoral implementation of sustainable soil management (SSM) is the level of municipalities. Together with multipliers, they are key target group to trigger SSM & change governance & stewardship for local socio-environmental breakthroughs. 

A vast amount of knowledge exists, yet scattered, not yet streamlined & adapted to the use in spatial planning practices. The challenge is to transfer existing Know-How into concrete & comparable Do-How, followed by a change of standard practices & replication activities. SOIL:OurInvisibleAlly (SOIL) will strive to provide & distribute Alpine-wide SSM solutions through: 
- Compiling a selection of tangible, established best practice examples of Alpine SSM 
- Streamline Do-How for municipalities & others, motivating them to apply the new SSM in joint case-studies 
- Spreading & embedding a new SSM-culture & enhancing soil policies through diverse & innovative communication means, arts and culture.

The consortium is ideally composed, representing researchers, landowners, municipal & regional players & dissemination platforms, throughout the Alpine region. 

The result is a significant increase in awareness & readiness levels in municipalities & affiliated stakeholders, the status of soil preservation & protection, as well as local SSM practices & policies for CC mitigation & adaptation.

Project ID

ASP0500310

Funding period

1 September 2024 - 31 August 2027

Total budget

€2,849,646.30

EU contribution

€2,137,234.71

Funding programme

INTERREG

Call for proposals

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Alpine Space

Type of stakeholder

Municipalities and policymakers

Project contribution to Mission Soil’s:

Specific objectives

  • 1. Reduce land degradation relating to desertification
    Not targeted
  • 2. Conserve and increase soil organic carbon stocks
    Not targeted
  • 3. No net soil sealing and increase the reuse of urban soils
    Not targeted
  • 4. Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration
    Not targeted
  • 5. Prevent erosion
    Not targeted
  • 6. Improve soil structure to enhance habitat quality for soil biota and crops
    Targeted
  • 7. Reduce the EU global footprint on soils
    Not targeted
  • 8. Increase soil literacy in society across Member States
    Partially targeted

Operational objectives

  • 1. Build capacities and the knowledge base for soil stewardship
    Targeted
  • 2. Co-create and upscale place-based innovations to improve soil health in all places
    Partially targeted
  • 3. Develop an integrated EU soil monitoring system and track progress towards soil health
    Not targeted
  • 4. Engage with the soil user community and society at large
    Not targeted

Innovation hotspots

  • 1. Carbon farming
    Targeted
  • 2. Soil pollution and restoration
    Not targeted
  • 3. Soil biodiversity including the microbiome
    Not targeted
  • 4. Circular economy solutions
    Not targeted

Cross-cutting dimensions

  • 1. Business
    Not targeted
  • 2. Digital
    Not targeted
  • 3. Territorial
    Partially targeted
  • 4. International
    Not targeted

© European Union, 2024. Image sources: Adobe.Stock.com