PHISHES aims to bridge the missing link between data on soil health and actions for the safeguard of soils. This missing link entails predictive capability in terms of the consequences of actions on the provision of soil functions and associated ecosystem services, taking into account soil use, soil contamination and various drivers such as climate change. Hence the primary scientific question addressed in PHISHES is: “How do soil use and soil contamination influence soil functions and associated ecosystem services, in the presence of major drivers such as climate change, and how can we predict the impacts of mitigation and adaptation measures?”. While most research teams address this question in a qualitative / semi-quantitative fashion, using, e.g. multicriteria analysis and indicators of soil health, the ambition of PHISHES is to provide quantitative predictive capability via a PHISHES Digital Platform.

To achieve this, PHISHES will build upon several pre-existing integrated simulation tools; in particular the MIKE SHE model that provides a flexible framework for integrated hydrologic modelling and the DAISY model, a well-tested mechanistic agro-ecological model of the soil-plant-atmosphere system. The efficient coupling between such models will significantly enhance the ability to assess the impact of changes in land use on soil ecosystem services. It will serve to assess the influence of various actions on soil services; i.e. sustainable agricultural practices (e.g. hedge rows to retain moisture and reduce erosion; no-till agriculture, crop rotation) of land restoration / remediation solutions (e.g. nature-based solutions), pollution prevention solutions, etc. The results of the scenario simulations will be tranlated into recommendations regarding policies aimed at preserving soil health and promoting soil functions and associated ecostem services. The PHISHES consortium brings together competencies from soil science to hydrology and policy making.

Plastic use in agriculture has tremendously increased in the past decades resulting in soil pollution with plastic residues forming besides macroplastics micro (MP) and nanoplastics (NP). MINAGRIS aims to contribute to healthy soils in Europe by providing a deeper understanding and tools to assess the impact of MP and NP in agricultural soil health. To create an overview on the actual situation across Europe, MINAGRIS will assess the use of different plastic polymers in agricultural systems in 11 case study across Europe and identify the resulting types and concentrations of MPs and NPs. Concentrations of other stressors in soils such as pesticides and veterinary drugs will be additionally assessed. MINAGRIS will provide validated analytical tools that allow the quantification and identification of MPs and NPs in soils. Based on the results of the case study sites, controlled experiments will be conducted to analyse the impact of MPs and NPs on physico-chemical soil properties, soil biodiversity, plant productivity, and Ecosystem Services, as well as their potential transfer to other parts of the environment and plants. Furthermore, synergistic effects with other stressors are assessed.

Quantification of the impacts of MNP on soil biodiversity and agricultural productivity, their transport and degradation in the environment, their impacts on socio-economic components, and synergies between all of them will make it possible to identify, in a multifactorial vision, the benefits and risks associated with the use of plastics in agriculture. Based on the results, MINAGRIS will quantify the economic, environmental, and social consequences of unsustainable soil management at the field and farm level in different biogeographical regions and, through a Multi-Actor Approach (MAA), develop a practical toolbox for and with farmers for the rapid assessment of soil exposure, at the same time raising relevant stakeholders’ and end-users’ awareness of the issue.

The overwhelming scientific evidence provided by the academic corpus indicates that to tackle the origin and negative impacts of nutrient pollution on water, soil and biodiversity, a wide landscape-river-sea system approach needs to be used. This should work on sustainable land management practices (especially, agricultural ones), improved wastewater treatment, and feasible nature restoration strategies. The project SEACURE will aim at demonstrating, scaling up and replicating effective innovations for the systemic prevention and reduction of nutrient pollution in the Mediterranean Sea basin, in line with the innovation ecosystem framework provided by the ongoing Mediterranean Lighthouse projects (as BlueMissionMed) and in close cooperation with related activities implemented by regional soil health living labs in the area.
The project is dedicating resources for the regional upscale and replication of successful nutrient management strategies devoted to: i) reduce soil pollution and enhance its restoration; ii) reduce fertilizers use and nutrient losses; and iii) prevent, minimize and remediate nutrients pollution in freshwater and marine ecosystems, in six territorial units (Mar Menor and Central Catalunya in Spain, Po delta and Esino river in Italy, and Axios river delta and Thessaly Plain in Greece). On one hand, the viability and impact will be evaluated. On the other hand, partners will act on innovation levers: policy uptake, societal awareness, capacity building and funding availability. Regional business plans for upscaling the effective strategies in the territorial units will be crafted, taking advantage of the regional mobilisation of innovation ecosystems already carried out during the project. Finally, the replication of knowledge will be encouraged thanks to the technical assistance to Associated Regions through FSTP grants. In summary, the project is embracing the Missions impact-driven approach, working with actors to maximise its results uptake.

The Information-based Strategies for LAND Remediation (ISLANDR) project is cross-disciplinary and multi-actor and aims to promote the delivery of Green Deal objectives, in particular achieving Zero Pollution by reducing soil pollution and enhancing restoration. ISLANDR will provide a series of tools and methods to support: (1) the delineation of soil pollution sources, (2) the assessment of risks, (3) the implementation of sustainable and risk-based land management (SRBLM), (4) the inclusion of wider valuation approach in financial and investment cases, (5) closer integration of land contamination and spatial planning decision-making and (6) key policy relevant findings related to the Soil Strategy, proposed soil health law and other areas of policy where soil is a crucial consideration. ISLANDR takes a carefully targeted approach in view of the large existing knowledge base, and has designed its outcomes be easily assimilated by multiple target groups (incl: policy interests, planners and regulators, site managers and their service providers). Care is taken to ensure support for capacity building and also to service the needs of long term repositories (e.g EUSO). Innovations include using CBA to provide robust valuation for parallel benefits to improve business cases; a technical basis for soil functionality as a “soil health” receptor, and operating window analyses of NBS and other low input remediation. ISLANDR makes use of 7 test areas across Europe to provide real world research context and road-test findings, including areas impacted by green transition consequences. Roundtables in these areas provide active local stakeholder dialogue and a basis for rapid implementation and new project roll-out. A key focus of ISLANDR is to facilitate soil remediation in situations where the case is economically marginal or negative, by providing a more thorough understanding of low input approaches and a wider value proposition for investment cases and financial planning.

EDAPHOS proposes a holistic and innovative land management approach to contribute to the Mission “A Soil Deal for EU” and to its specific objective “Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration”. EDAPHOS will develop a framework for land rehabilitation and ecological restoration of contaminated areas featuring nature-based solutions (NBS) technologies, to accelerate the recovery of contaminated lands to a healthy ecosystem status and making ecological restoration a mainstream business endeavor. EDAPHOS will improve the monitoring of contaminated soils and the understanding of precise pollution sources at selected EU regions by combining robust remote sensing tools and GIS-based methods that will be applied at representative territorial lands. Site-specific risk assessment methods and metrics, based on the TRIAD concept and considering the sources, the pathways, the exposure and effects of soil pollution, will be developed and applied on 7 case studies. EDAPHOS will perform lab and field studies to validate the technological readiness and the cost-effectiveness of NBS as effective remediation strategy for reducing soil contamination in urban, peri-urban and rural settings and land uses. EDAPHOS will assess the environmental, social and economic impacts of selected NBS sites and will develop the most suitable quantitative metrics and KPIs that depict accurately and reliably their integrated socio-environmental performance in both terms of economic benefit (e.g. growth of ecosystem services value, final phytoremediation compounds for further industrial valorization) and cost prevention (e.g. environmental footprint reduction) potentials, along with tailored ecological finance instruments for establishing a self-sustained and replicable EU NBS market. With the aim of providing data-driven tools for forecasting, analyzing and establishing quantitative relationship of multi-scale processes, artificial intelligence techniques will be implemented throughout the project.

Soil contamination is a severe hazard to humans and the environment. We propose Achieving Remediation And GOverning Restoration of contaminated soils Now (ARAGORN) through development and implementation of a complete framework. The framework starts from the identification of contaminated sites and presents a decision-making tree to identify remediation and restoration strategies, and contribute to the aims of the EU Soil Strategy. The framework is grounded in scientific progress and adapted to fully support public and private land managers to take effective actions to protect, remediate and restore the environment on Europe’s polluted soils.

ARAGORN will provide better insights into contaminated sites and improve remediation and restoration decision-making by implementing robust mapping and monitoring tools that are fit-for-purpose and covers a wide range of contaminants. Neglected hotspot polluted sites will be identified by fit-for-purpose monitoring and decision strategies. This will enable public and private stakeholders of contaminated sites to move from regrettable remediation to restorative remediation.

ARAGORN will compile and test remediation strategies and sustainable soil decontamination solutions, and will develop and put in practice nature-based solutions, improve knowledge on biodiversity and deliver a framework for step-by-step decision making in terms of what is the best approach for resilient restoration in various European countries. The complete framework will be developed together with strategic engagement of land managers throughout Europe, and by rooting knowledge through co-creative processes and sustainable infrastructures.

The implementation will be done through a strong team of multidisciplinary scientists and practitioners with ongoing commitments with a diverse set of stakeholders across Europe at the local, national and EU level. We will interlink land managers and sectors across Europe to take effective action on soil health and provide longevity links and support to several EU policy and international commitments.