06.03.2025
The Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) has signed the Mission Soil Manifesto of the European Commission. With this, ZALF reaffirms its commitment to the protection and sustainable use of soils.
The Manifesto is part of the EU Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe,” which promotes research and innovation to improve and restore soil health. In Europe, between 60 and 70% of soils are considered unhealthy. The Soil Mission is addressing this issue and aims to establish a hundred so-called living labs and lighthouses by 2030. In living labs, researchers, farmers, and other stakeholders work together to develop and test new methods for sustainable soil management under real conditions. Lighthouse projects serve as showcase initiatives that highlight particularly successful approaches and encourage replication.
Prof. Katharina Helming, Deputy Scientific Director at ZALF, emphasizes: "Healthy soils are the foundation for our food, biodiversity, and climate protection. By signing the Manifesto, we are sending a clear signal in favor of sustainable soil management – based on science and practice."
By signing the Manifesto, ZALF joins a growing community of organizations and institutions committed to healthy soils and sustainable land management. These include, among others, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, as well as numerous national and regional institutions such as the Thünen Institute in Germany, the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRAE) in France, and the Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria (CREA) in Italy. Many cities, municipalities, and agricultural enterprises across Europe have already signed the Manifesto.
Further Information:
https://mission-soil-platform.ec.europa.eu/community/mission-soil-manifesto
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This text has been created with the help of artificial intelligence and has been carefully reviewed and revised in accordance with the AI guidelines at ZALF.
