Healthy Soils by 2030: Horizon Europe Funding towards A Soil Deal for Europe
Soil forms the foundation of life on Earth. It nurtures crops to form the foundations of our food systems, it filters our waters, and it supports intricate ecosystems that host biodiversity. From sustaining agriculture to mitigating climate change, soil plays a pivotal role.
Life on Earth depends on healthy soils. However, estimates suggest that 60-70% of EU soils are unhealthy. Further, it is found that most of the unhealthy soils are affected by more than one type of soil degradation. Multiple soil health indicators have to be confronted in order to tackle the soil restoration agenda of the EU.
Open Calls for the EU Soil Mission
The EU Mission, “A Soil Deal for Europe” aims to establish 100 living labs and lighthouses in pursuit of the transition towards healthy soils by 2030. It intends to lead this transition by funding a research and innovation programme backed by a network of living labs, a harmonised framework for European soil monitoring, and a raised awareness of the important role that soils have in society in order to address the Mission’s defined objectives:
- Reduce desertification
- Conserve soil organic carbon stocks
- Stop soil sealing and increase the re-use of urban soils
- Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration
- Prevent erosion
- Improve soil structure to enhance soil biodiversity
- Reduce the EU global footprint on soils
- Improve soil literacy in society
Open Calls for the EU Soil Mission
Space data will enable us to safeguard this vital resource through an increased capacity to monitor soil health, moisture retention levels, and erosion patterns over time. More efficient and sustainable land management through space data will help ensure the future of our soils and of our planet. The following calls under the mission “A Soil Deal for Europe” are currently open and have been identified as being relevant to space technology and space-based assets:
- Discovering the subsoil
- Modelling soil-related processes
- Joint demonstration of approaches and solutions to address nutrient pollution in the landscape-river-sea system in the Mediterranean sea basin
- Innovations to prevent and combat desertification
- Soils in spatial planning
- Soil-friendly practices in horticulture including alternatives to peat
Submissions are currently open and close on 20 September 2023. Find more opportunities at our opencalls.space portal.
The Open Calls Network
In 2022, the Netherlands Space Office (NSO) and Groundstation.Space launched the Open Calls Network. This network promotes the uptake of space data funding opportunities, which it collects in a dedicated database, and disseminates through a series of webinars. You can watch the replays and download all contact and funding information here:
- Climate Neutral and Smart Cities
- Digital and Industry
- Safety and Defence
- Restore Our Oceans and Water
- Adaptation to Climate Change
- Biodiversity
- Farm to Fork / A Soil Deal for Europe
dotSPACE Open Calls Deep Scan Service
In addition to our frequent publications about funding opportunities for space applications, we also offer a deep scan of all open calls specifically for your business, resulting in a tailor-made recommendation of the relevant calls.
Visit the Open Calls Deep Scan Page to learn more via the link: https://www.groundstation.space/about-dotspace/open-calls-deep-scan/
