„Monetary valuation of soil ecosystem services and creation of initiatives to invest in soil health: setting a framework for the inclusion of soil health in business and in the policy making process (InBest Soil)“, Nr. 101091099

Project No. 101091099
Project title: „Monetary valuation of soil ecosystem services and creation of initiatives to invest in soil health: setting a framework for the inclusion of soil health in business and in the policy making process (InBest Soil)“
Project duration: from 2023-01-01 to 2026-12-31
Project coordinator: Vigo University (Spain)
Project manager in MRU: prof.dr. Paulo Alexandre da Silva Pereira, paulo@mruni.eu
Other partners: UNIVERSIDAD DE VIGO (Spain); UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE CARTAGENA (Spain); FONDAZIONE CENTRO EURO-MEDITERRANEOSUI CAMBIAMENTI CLIMATICI (Italy); INXENIA DESARROLLOS TECNOLOGICOS SL (Spain); CENTRO DE VALORIZACION AMBIENTAL DEL NORTE SL (Spain); WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY (Netherlands); FUNDACION GLOBAL NATURE (Spain); SVEUCILISTE U ZAGREBU AGRONOMSKI FAKULTET (Kroatija); LATVIJAS VALSTS MEZZINATNES INSTITUTS SILAVA (Latvia); JUNE COMMUNICATIONS SRL (Romania); JURRIUS ANDREAS (Nyderlandai); AGRIS SARDEGNA – AGENZIA PER LA RICERCA IN AGRICOLTURA (Italy); ZABALA INNOVATION CONSULTING, S.A. (Spain); LGI SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION (France); Latvijas Valsts mezzinatnes instituta „Silava“ un Latvijas Lauksaimniecibas universitates valsts zinatniskas izpetes mezu apsaimniekosanas agentura „Meza petisanas stacija“ (Latvia); UDEA BV (Netherlands); ACTYVA SOCIEDAD COOPERATIVA (Spain).

Summary: More than half of Europe’s soils suffer from pollution, erosion and compaction problems, among other problems, and under climate change scenarios this degradation will only get worse. Currently, soil degradation costs around €50 billion annually. However, soil health is still seen as an abstract concept that cannot be included in financial activities and is very difficult to regulate.

The aim of the InBestSoil project is to develop a framework for investment in the conservation and restoration of soil health, by developing a framework for the economic valuation of the ecosystem services provided by healthy versus degraded soils, and to integrate this into business models. This will provide public and private organisations with the economic value of their actions related to soil health and enable them to develop joint strategies in partnership with local stakeholders to achieve national and EU policy ambitions. InBestSoil will provide data, evidence, tools and models to assess how investments in soil health can contribute to the transition towards long-term, resilient and sustainable soil use. The research will be carried out in 6 lighthouses and 3 living laboratories – a total of 9 research areas, in four European biogeographical regions (Boreal, Continental, Atlantic, Mediterranean) and on a wide range of land uses (agricultural, forest, urban, mining). These will be co-development and co-design models, reflecting the approach of different developers, responsible research and innovation and open science. Twenty partners with very different profiles from ten countries (universities, SMEs, consultancies, farmers, NGOs, etc.) are involved in this 48-month project. This composition of partners will facilitate the dissemination of results and international cooperation, and encourage investment in soil health by companies, investment firms and public administrations worldwide.

The project is funded by the European Union HORIZON-RIA programme.