European UnionDeadline PassedNon-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution, Other
Quantifying the impact of farming practices on soil health in arable lands
Horizon Europe Mission: A Soil Deal for Europe
Funding Amount
€6.0M - €6.0M
Deadline
30/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution, Other
Trusted by
What is the Quantifying the impact of farming practices on soil health in arable lands Call?
Grant Description
This call supports comprehensive research and innovation projects to quantify and map the impact of farming practices on soil health across EU pedo-climatic regions. It addresses gaps in scientific evidence on soil biodiversity, carbon capture, greenhouse gas emissions, water retention, and interactions of multiple threats and practices. Projects will develop inventories of soil-friendly practices, select key soil health indicators, build dynamic models and open-access databases, and provide rob...
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
Successful projects will deliver all of the following outcomes:
• Land managers, advisors, policymakers, researchers and citizens gain access to up-to-date, consolidated scientific knowledge on the impacts of individual and combined farming practices on soil health through accessible databases, models and visual tools.
• Increased adoption by land managers of science-backed farming practices that enhance and restore soil health, supported by refined, evidence-based policy measures at EU and national levels, aligned with CAP interventions.
• Member States’ competent authorities identify and address specific agronomic and policy challenges to soil health, adapting incentives in their CAP Strategic Plans accordingly.
• Progress towards Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ objectives: conserving and increasing soil organic matter, preventing erosion, improving soil structure for biota and crops, and enhancing soil literacy across Member States.
• Contribution to the European Green Deal (nutrient objectives), the EU Action Plan for Organic Production, and CAP environmental goals.
• Robust, FAIR datasets, coefficients and modelling tools that inform future R&I priorities and support the development of a unified EU soil monitoring system and evidence-based governance frameworks by 2030.
• Land managers, advisors, policymakers, researchers and citizens gain access to up-to-date, consolidated scientific knowledge on the impacts of individual and combined farming practices on soil health through accessible databases, models and visual tools.
• Increased adoption by land managers of science-backed farming practices that enhance and restore soil health, supported by refined, evidence-based policy measures at EU and national levels, aligned with CAP interventions.
• Member States’ competent authorities identify and address specific agronomic and policy challenges to soil health, adapting incentives in their CAP Strategic Plans accordingly.
• Progress towards Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ objectives: conserving and increasing soil organic matter, preventing erosion, improving soil structure for biota and crops, and enhancing soil literacy across Member States.
• Contribution to the European Green Deal (nutrient objectives), the EU Action Plan for Organic Production, and CAP environmental goals.
• Robust, FAIR datasets, coefficients and modelling tools that inform future R&I priorities and support the development of a unified EU soil monitoring system and evidence-based governance frameworks by 2030.
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
- Geographical focus on EU arable lands and major pedo-climatic regions covering nearly half of EU agricultural area, two-thirds of which is under arable cropping.
• Holistic assessment of farming practices (individual and combined) on soil functions: structure, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, GHG emissions, water infiltration and retention, and soil biodiversity.
• Investigation of multi-threat interactions (e.g. farming practice × climate change) affecting soil health.
• Building on and refining CAP baseline (GAEC), Eco-Schemes and Agri-environment-climate Measures (Pillar II) to develop stronger, evidence-based incentives for sustainable practices (organic farming, agroecology, carbon farming).
• Generation of robust quantitative coefficients for farming practice impacts across diverse pedo-climatic zones and cropping systems over time.
• Compliance with GAEC standards and integration with other CAP interventions (Eco-Schemes, AECM) without exclusivity.
• Development of FAIR, open-access datasets, models and tools with demonstrated routes to long-term sustainability and interoperability.
• Close collaboration with EUSO, Soil Wise, EU research infrastructures, national CAP Strategic Plans and relevant JRC and Evaluation Helpdesk initiatives (e.g. iMAP project).
• Application of a multi-actor approach, ensuring the genuine and sufficient involvement of end-users (farmers, advisors, policymakers, industry, civil society) throughout the project life-cycle.
• Allocation of resources for coordination with other Mission projects and cluster activities to avoid duplication and foster synergies.
• Holistic assessment of farming practices (individual and combined) on soil functions: structure, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, GHG emissions, water infiltration and retention, and soil biodiversity.
• Investigation of multi-threat interactions (e.g. farming practice × climate change) affecting soil health.
• Building on and refining CAP baseline (GAEC), Eco-Schemes and Agri-environment-climate Measures (Pillar II) to develop stronger, evidence-based incentives for sustainable practices (organic farming, agroecology, carbon farming).
• Generation of robust quantitative coefficients for farming practice impacts across diverse pedo-climatic zones and cropping systems over time.
• Compliance with GAEC standards and integration with other CAP interventions (Eco-Schemes, AECM) without exclusivity.
• Development of FAIR, open-access datasets, models and tools with demonstrated routes to long-term sustainability and interoperability.
• Close collaboration with EUSO, Soil Wise, EU research infrastructures, national CAP Strategic Plans and relevant JRC and Evaluation Helpdesk initiatives (e.g. iMAP project).
• Application of a multi-actor approach, ensuring the genuine and sufficient involvement of end-users (farmers, advisors, policymakers, industry, civil society) throughout the project life-cycle.
• Allocation of resources for coordination with other Mission projects and cluster activities to avoid duplication and foster synergies.
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
- Mandatory multi-actor approach: genuine, sustained involvement of a balanced consortium of scientific, practical and policy actors (researchers, land managers, advisors, professional associations, industry, local communities, NGOs, policymakers) from project conception through implementation, dissemination and exploitation.
• Joint Research Centre (JRC) may be part of the consortium if selected.
• Data and outputs must be open access, apply FAIR principles, and demonstrate plans for longevity, sustainability and interoperability (in collaboration with EUSO and Soil Wise).
• Proposals must comply with Horizon Europe MGA, admissibility, eligibility, financial capacity and exclusion criteria as set out in the Work Programme General Annexes and Programme Guide.
• Allocated budget lines for coordination and joint activities with other Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ projects, including those under the Horizon Europe Partnership on Agroecology and the Mission Secretariat.
• Summarise knowledge in ‘practice abstracts’ using the EIP-AGRI common format; involve EIP-AGRI Operational Groups or equivalent innovation networks for dissemination.
• Project evaluation, award criteria, scoring and thresholds, submission processes and timelines follow Annexes D, F and G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
• Eligible applicants from EU Member States, Associated Countries and non-associated third countries under specific conditions; follow country eligibility rules in Annex B.
• Joint Research Centre (JRC) may be part of the consortium if selected.
• Data and outputs must be open access, apply FAIR principles, and demonstrate plans for longevity, sustainability and interoperability (in collaboration with EUSO and Soil Wise).
• Proposals must comply with Horizon Europe MGA, admissibility, eligibility, financial capacity and exclusion criteria as set out in the Work Programme General Annexes and Programme Guide.
• Allocated budget lines for coordination and joint activities with other Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ projects, including those under the Horizon Europe Partnership on Agroecology and the Mission Secretariat.
• Summarise knowledge in ‘practice abstracts’ using the EIP-AGRI common format; involve EIP-AGRI Operational Groups or equivalent innovation networks for dissemination.
• Project evaluation, award criteria, scoring and thresholds, submission processes and timelines follow Annexes D, F and G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
• Eligible applicants from EU Member States, Associated Countries and non-associated third countries under specific conditions; follow country eligibility rules in Annex B.
Important dates
Open from: 06/05/2025
Deadline:30/09/2025
Application period has ended
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