Healthy soils are essential for achieving climate neutrality, halting the loss of biodiversity and providing healthy food. However, more than 60% of the EU’s soils are subject to one or more soil degradation processes. The recently updated Soil Health Dashboard, developed by the EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) shows the location and estimates the extent of soil degradation processes in the European Union (EU). The proposed Soil Monitoring Law aims to make soil health monitoring obligatory, provides guiding principles for sustainable soil management and addresses situations where soil contamination poses unacceptable health and environment risks.

In this context, the EUSO convenes its 4th Stakeholder Forum, an annual event organised by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) whose purpose is to actively engage and exchange with the soil community, from policy makers and scientists to local actors, civil society representatives and citizens. The 4th EUSO Stakeholders Forum will be an opportunity for anyone interested in soils to update and exchange on various themes including latest developments in soil policy and the state of soils in Europe and beyond.

The Stakeholders Forum of 2024 will focus on five main topics:
1 - Status and prospects of the Soil Monitoring Law
2 - Launch of the report State of soils in Europe
3 - Global perspective of soil health policies
4 - Launch of the EUSO Working Group on nutrients
5 - Soil literacy and Soil Sciences and Arts

Preliminary agenda overview:
- 21 October 2024 (9:30 – 17:00 CET): Soil Monitoring Law – Status and prospects
- 22 October 2024 (9:30 – 12:30 CET): State of soils in Europe Report 2024
- 22 October 2024 (14:00 – 17:00 CET): Soil health policies – a global perspective
- 23 October 2024 (9.30-12.30 CET): EUSO technical working group on nutrients
- 23 October 2024  (14:00 -17:00 CET): Soil Literacy and Soil Sciences & Arts