Building a cross-European framework for climate-smart sustainable agricultural soil management systems

24 countries join forces in the European Joint Programme EJP SOIL. The overall objective is to provide sustainable agricultural soil management solutions that contribute to key societal challenges including climate change and future food supply.

Furthermore the objectives of the EJP SOIL are to develop knowledge, tools and an integrated research community to foster climate-smart sustainable agricultural soil management, i.e. agricultural soil management that allows sustainable food production, sustains soil biodiversity, as well as other soil functions that preserves the ecosystem services that the soils deliver.

EJP SOIL comprises 26 partner organisations from 24 countries. Together with the European Commission, the partners have a joint budget (80M€) and forces to create an enabling environment that will enhance the contribution of agricultural soils to key societal challenges, including climate change adaptation and mitigation, sustainable agricultural production, ecosystem services provision and restoration and prevention of land and soil degradation.

Engaged and enthusiastic representatives from 26 partner organisations gathered in Orléans, France on 26th and 27th of February 2020 for the Kick-off meeting of the EJP SOIL. This research programme has the purpose of targeting climate change mitigation and adoption, sustainable agricultural production, eco-system services and soil degradation. Hence, the overall goal of EJP Soil is to foster climate-smart sustainable agricultural soil management. The programme has a focus of integrating a wide network of existing national stakeholders to build a sustainable European integrated research system and to develop knowledge, improved practices, technology and tools. Initiated with the Kick-off meeting, the EJP SOIL programme is currently rolling out its Year One Roadmap, including an inventory of the research gaps, the knowledge needs, and stocktaking of the current State-of-Art. 

The EJP SOIL programme has a term of 5 years.

For more information about EJP SOIL, please visit www.ejpsoil.org and subscribe to the programme newsletter. 

At the website, you will find contact information on national partners and programme representatives.