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Mission: Soil health and food (2023/24)
Life on earth depends on healthy soils. Healthy soils provide food, clean water, habitats for biodiversity and other important services while contributing to climate resilience[[ In line with the Mission’s implementation plan, soil health is defined as „the continued capacity of soils to support ecosystem services”.]]. We take these services for granted, but in fact, soils are a scarce and a threatened resource, all over Europe and beyond. It is estimated that 60-70% of soils in the EU are unhealthy, mainly because of unsustainable management practices. The effects of climate change are putting further pressure on this key resource. The Mission will support Europe’s path to sustainable soil management as part of the wider green transition, in urban as well as rural areas. The Mission’s goal is to establish 100 living labs and lighthouses to lead the transition towards healthy soils by 2030 for the benefit of food, people, nature and climate.

To reach its goal and objectives, the Mission foresees actions across territories and sectors. It aims at having wide-reaching impact on practices in agriculture, forestry, the food sector and other industries (e.g. biobased and waste) as well as on land use planning in rural and urban areas. The Mission will also tap into the expertise from international partners and contribute to soil health globally.