Horizon Europe Mission Area: Soil health and food

Read on to learn about the Horizon Europe mission area, ‘Soil health and food’.

Mission area: Soil health and food background and aim

What are Horizon Europe missions and mission areas?

EU missions are commitments to solve major societal challenges like fighting cancer, adapting to climate change, protecting our oceans, living in greener cities and ensuring soil health and food.

As an integral part of the Horizon Europe framework programme beginning in 2021, they are a new way to deliver on these commitments.

Each mission will operate as a portfolio of actions – such as research projects, policy measures or even legislative initiatives – to achieve a measurable goal that could not be achieved through individual actions. The missions will contribute to the goals of the European Green Deal, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.

About the Horizon Europe mission area: Soil health and food

Land and soil are vital to life on earth, but it is also a highly dynamic and fragile system. With the rapid development of human activities, including production, settlement, industry and population growth, soil faces unprecedented challenges and pressures.

Horizon Europe: Soil Health and Food aims to raise awareness of the importance of soil and develop solutions to restore soil health and soil function. It will put the EU on the path of sustainable land and soil management as part of a broader transition towards a green society.

By 2030, this mission will:

1. Ensure at least 75% of all soils in the EU are healthy for food, people, nature and climate and are able to provide essential ecosystem services;
2. The proposed mission combines research and innovation, education and training, investments and the demonstration of good practices.

Timeline of the mission area: Soil health and food

• In September 2020, the Mission Board handed in the final recommendations to the European Commission
• A preparatory phase to decide upon detailed actions, investment strategy and performance indicators began in November 2020 and lasted 12 months.
• In the last half-year of 2021, the mission was officially launched and enter the implementation phase.

Learn more about Horizon Europe

Visit the European Commission overview page for ‘Soil health and food‘