Living Labs for co-creating solutions to reduce eutrophication from agriculture

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Expected Outcome: Activities under this topic respond directly to the goal of the Mission Soil to set up 100 living labs and lighthouses to lead the transition to healthy soils by 2030 and support the objectives and targets of the Mission Soil[1]. Activities should also contribute to the Common Agricultural Policy, and to meeting the European Green Deal ambitions and targets and more specifically those of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the EU soil strategy for 2030 and the proposal for a Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive, as well as the EU Water Framework Directive, the European Water Resilience Strategy, the Nitrates Directive, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Communication on Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the EU, as well as to the Sustainable Development Goals[2]. Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes: enhanced capacities for participatory, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary R&I to co-create, and co-implement economically viable soil health solutions to reduce eutrophication from agriculture and improve water quality; improved soil health monitoring and increased availability of high quality, standardised soil data at local and regional levels; increased availability of practice-oriented knowledge and tools for land managers and land users, leading to better adoption of effective soil health solutions to reduce eutrophication in diverse contexts; policy makers are more aware of risks associated with eutrophication and local needs regarding soil health, including its drivers, and can use this knowledge to design and implement more effective policies to reduce eutrophication and enhancing soil health while considering the economic sustainability of solutions. Scope: Eutrophication is a critical environmental issue that primarily affects water bodies but is largely driven by nutrient dynamics in soils together with diffuse source contributions. Eutrophication leads to algal blooms, hypoxia, and biodiversity loss, which in turn disrupt the entire food chains threatening both food availability and safety, as well as other ecosystems functions and the services they provide (e.g. drinking water, recreation). Soil management practices, particularly in agricultural soils, can lead to an excessive accumulation of nutrients in soils, predominantly nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), and runoff or leaching into water bodies. Thus, soil management represents an important strategy to mitigate eutrophication[3]. Moreover, degraded soils with low water retention and limited nutrient cycling capacity, exacerbate eutrophication. Therefore, the restoration of soil health offers a critical opportunity for nutrient interception and reduction of downstream aquatic impacts. The Mission Soil proposes the deployment of living labs as a novel approach to research and innovation in soil health[4]. Living labs have the potential to facilitate a green transition by involving multiple actors…