ABSTRACT. Over the last decade, there has been an urgent need to address climate change mitigation and promote sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture. Farmers, decision-makers and stakeholders are developing effective methods to evaluate and enhance the eco-profiles of harvested crops. The use of advanced remote sensing techniques, particularly light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology, enables precise measurement and quantification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at farm level. In this context, a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) study regarding rainfed organic olive-tree cultivation in Crete, Greece, was performed to determine the environmental impacts and energy consumption. For this purpose, a detailed life cycle inventory (LCI) was created using real-time LiDAR measurements (CO2 and CH4 emissions) in the field, based on the integrated LCA-based framework methodology in the context of the ClimaMED project [1,2] (Figure 1). The software package used for the life cycle impact analysis was the commercial LCA for Experts v.10 (ex. GaBi) from Sphera [3] along with the well-established Ecoinvent 3.9 database [4] by considering the phases of classification and characterization that were defined according to ISO 14040-14044 standard series [5]. Several impact categories were considered in this study based on the CML-IA methodology, including global warming potential, eutrophication potential, acidification potential, photochemical ozone creation potential, ozone depletion potential, and cumulative energy demand. To enhance data reliability, a comparison analysis with background level data and a Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis were carried out for uncertainties related to the on-site LiDAR measurements. Based on the obtained results of this LCA study, the largest contributors i.e. hot spots to environmental impact and energy consumption were the phases of organic fertilization and pest control; thus, feasible mitigation activities are proposed in this sense. On the basis of the uncertainty analysis, the inclusion of on-site LiDAR measurements in the establishment of the LCI led to slight to moderate differences compared with commonly used database/background data information. The overall results of this study indicate that the LiDAR technology has a promising application potential to facilitate the development of a reliable LCI that could serve as a reference point in similar cultivations in Greece and other Mediterranean countries.

ABSTRACT. Metal contamination in agricultural soils poses significant environmental and health problems. When bioavailable, i.e., in a chemical form that can be taken up by biota, non-essential, highly toxic metals such as cadmium (Cd) can be absorbed and accumulated by crops. This leads to chronic human exposure through consumption of contaminated produce. Under projected future climatic conditions, such as those outlined in the IPCC’s RCP 8.5 scenario (+4°C, doubled atmospheric CO2, and reduced soil moisture, [1]), there is evidence of increased concentrations of Cd in soil solution [2]. A climate change-induced increase in bioavailable Cd likely leads to increased uptake by crops and potentially unsafe concentrations in produce; however, this has not yet been investigated. Organic amendments, commonly used to enhance soil health and soil resilience to environmental stressors, may help bind mobile metals and prevent their uptake by crops. Whether organic amendments will be able to mitigate increased Cd bioavailability under future climate conditions is still unknown. We hypothesize that (1) climate change-induced increases in soil Cd bioavailability increase Cd loads in crops and (2) this can be mitigated by the application of organic amendments to the soil. To test these hypotheses, we cultivated spinach (Spinacia oleracea) under today’s and future climatic conditions on geochemically diverse soils with a wide range of Cd concentrations in pots in the greenhouse. Spinach has a global production volume of 63 billion kg in 2021 and is prone to Cd accumulation in edible parts [3]. Exchangeable Cd was extracted with 0.01 M CaCl2 from soil and linked to total Cd in root and shoot. The determination of soil-root translocation and root-shoot transfer factors elucidated that soil management could be used to reduce Cd accumulation in edible tissues. In a follow-up study, we applied six commonly used organic amendments to one soil-spinach cultivation system (manure, compost, horn bone blood meal, peat, humic substances, and biochar). Soil geochemical investigations linked to microbiome analysis and multisurface modelling (WHAM VII, [4]), provided mechanistic insight into organic amendment interactions with Cd. Under future climatic conditions, significantly more Cd was accumulated in the edible parts of all spinach varieties compared to today’s climate grown on soils ranging from 0.1 to 1.1 ppmw Cd and pH 6 to 7.3. Increased CaCl2-extractable Cd and higher soil-to-spinach root translocation factors under future climatic conditions compared to today suggested that soil management could mitigate climate-induced Cd accumulation in edible spinach tissues. Among the six organic amendments tested, manure and compost were most effective in reducing Cd concentrations in spinach leaves. Compost reduced CaCl2-extractable Cd and leaf Cd contents equally under both climatic conditions, whereas manure mainly reduced these parameters under future conditions. Our findings provide evidence that other cropping systems may also be prone to increased uptake of Cd and potentially other toxic metals in the future, and that this could be mitigated by the application of manure or compost.

References [1] IPCC, 2021. Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. [2] Drabesch et al., submitted, Climate induced microbiome alterations increase Cd bioavailability in agricultural soils. [3] UN Food and Agriculture Organization, 2023. Spinach production in 2021; Crops/Regions/ World/Production Quantity/Year from pick lists. [4] Tipping, E, 1994. WHAM: A chemical equilibrium model and computer code for waters, sediments, and soils incorporating a discrete site/electrostatic model of ion-binding by humic substances.

ABSTRACT. Biochar, a carbon-rich material deriving from the pyrolysis of organic by-products under oxygen-limited conditions, emerges as a promising soil amendment for mitigating climate change by sequestering soil carbon and improving soil quality. In addition, its porous structure and increased surface area make biochar a potential adsorbent of soil contaminants as well as a slow-release fertilizer (Kołtowski et. al., 2017). Different feedstocks, such as agricultural residues, forest harvest by-products and sewage sludge deriving from wastewater treatment plants, can be used for its production. The present paper investigates briefly the effect of biochar addition on phytotoxicity reduction in a soil contaminated with 190 mg/kg copper. The seeds tested for germination are Lepidium sativum (LS), Sorghum saccharatum (SS) and Sinapis alba (SA).

ABSTRACT. (Introduction) Climate change is project to greatly affect food systems, including yield and quality of staple crops such as wheat. One key determinant of wheat grain quality is the concentration of metal micronutrients (e.g., Fe, Zn, Cu) and toxic elements (e.g., Cd, Pb). However, it is not yet known whether and to which degree climate change conditions will affect micronutrient and toxic element concentrations in wheat grains.

(Methods) We performed a wheat-growth pot experiment (Spring-Summer 2024) to determine the effect of future climatic conditions (approximately +4°C relative to ambient, decreased soil moisture) on wheat, Triticum aestivum L., grain quality and yield. To expand the applicability of our results, we used three agricultural soils with a wide range of chemical properties (soil texture, elemental composition) and two spring wheat and one winter wheat cultivar. To evaluate the potential availability of soil metals for uptake by the wheat, we measured soil pH and water-extractable metal concentrations at four time points throughout the experiment.

(Results) Preliminary results showed that future climatic conditions led to faster wheat development, including a shorter time needed to reach full maturity. In pot soil, future climatic conditions led to slightly increased pH and had no effect on dissolved organic carbon (DOC). While this experiment is ongoing, our results will demonstrate how underlying plant and soil processes relate to wheat uptake of micronutrients and toxic elements. Overall, this study will provide insights whether the combined impacts of future climatic conditions and soil contamination will give cause to an additional threat to food security and balanced nutrition.

ABSTRACT. Sewage sludge is a by-product of wastewater treatment processes characterized by the point it is produced as primary, biological and secondary sludge. However, average sludge production represents less than 1% of the total wastewater volume in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and its handling cost can reach up to 50% of the total operation cost of plant (Nielsen & Stefanakis, 2020). The majority of WWTPs, are facilities equipped with heavy machineries require high energy demands, follow a linear strategy based in mechanical and chemical methods achieving moderate dewatering and stabilization in the final product which ends up in landfills. Moreover, conventional methods infrastructures are not flexible to be applied in every region and climate condition (Gholipour et al., 2024). This study comes to introduce a circular management strategy utilizing a valuable by-product overcoming disadvantages of conventional methods, using environmentally friendly technologies such as sludge drying reed beds (SDRBs) and composting to produce a valuable and nutrient-rich material suitable for agronomic use.

ABSTRACT. Introduction Biochar is the solid product that occurs from biomass pyrolysis/gasification. It can be produced by valorising any type of waste derived biomass, such as agronomic residues, animal manure, sewage sludge, municipal solid waste, industrial organic residues and other organic biomasses. Based on its production processes, biochar is a material that contributes to circular economy and sustainability, since it converts waste into high value and multi-application commercial products. Biochar shows several favourable physicochemical properties, such as high stable C content, high macro- and micro- nutrient fertilizing potential, high water holding capacity and cation/anion exchange ability, along with CO2 emissions mitigation in soil and protection from pests/herbs, which make it a good applicant for soil amelioration. In this work, biochar was produced from Constructed Wetland biomass (reeds) mixed with sewage sludge in a 4:1 ratio, followed by its physicochemical characterization and its application as soil amendment in constructed soil beds for the cultivation of tomatoes (Solanum Lycopersicum). Methods Biomass (reeds) was collected from pilot-scale Constructed Wetlands installed at the premises of Technical University of Crete, while dewatered sewage sludge was obtained from the municipal wastewater treatment plant of Chania (DEYACH). The samples were collected, dried at 80℃ for 2 days and then homogenized in a 1:4 ratio (reeds : sewage sludge). The homogenized samples were pyrolized in a rotary kiln pyrolytic reactor, at 600℃ for 30 min, under continuous N2 supply rate of 200 L/h. The produced sample was characterized physicochemically in terms of elemental composition, ash content and macro-/micro- nutrient content. Concerning the agronomic application of the produced biochar, two soil amendments were selected; biochar from reeds/sewage sludge mixture and commercial compost from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (DEDISA SA). Four treatments were adopted, using 1,5 x 1,0 m constructed soil beds containing 280 L of fertile soil sample. Analytical description of the implemented treatments is presented in Table 1. The agronomic experiment was launched on 04/07/2024 and is expected to be completed by October 2024. Results The preliminary results of this work (the experiment is currently undergoing) showed that biochar (BC) can indeed increase plant and fruit productivity, compared to C and CM treatments, making it a good soil amendment. Figure 1 presents the preliminary results concerning plant height gain from the beginning of the cultivation cycle. It is obvious that BC treatment showed the best results, followed by the combined BC-CM treatment, while CM treatment showed the least favourable results. The positive effect of biochar on the cultivation of tomatoes started to occur intensely after the 3rd week of the cultivation cycle.

ABSTRACT. Introduction Promoting farm resilience and sustainability with alternative cultivation practices pursues economic, environmental, and social objectives. This requires knowledge from different disciplines plus decision-support methods that acknowledge the subjective importance of relevant objectives and goals. Multicriteria methods provide the framework to solve such decision problems with numerous applications concerning sustainability in agriculture. Among an increasing number of multicriteria algorithms and tools, Sadok et al. (2008) undertook a critical review regarding the selection of those suitable for the sustainability assessment of cropping systems. The recommended methods not only have to address conflicting criteria but also identify specificities of the application domain such as incommensurability, non-compensation, and incomparability. These basic features are adequately integrated by outranking methods that do not require a common scale or a utility function to aggregate the criteria but compare alternatives in pairs and assign a degree of preference or dominance based on the performance of alternative in the relevant criteria. Outranking methods have demonstrated flexibility to tackle normative decision problems in agriculture e.g. to sort cropping systems; to adapt water supply strategies at the basin level; to select among energy crops; and to evaluate climate change adaptation alternatives. Moreover, positive multicriteria models that simulate farmers’ behavior and subsequently their response to policy measures (Rozakis, 2011) have been elaborated for outranking algorithms. As a matter of fact prospect theory approach is integrated to PROMETHEE implementing Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) (Krol et al., 2018) to estimate support levels to incite the adoption of environmentally friendly cultivation practices in arable agriculture. Methods The PROMETHEE method can be implemented to support the selection and ranking of alternative cultivation practices. Socio-economic criteria performance of alternatives is based on objective (profits, costs) or subjective (managerial difficulty) information. Regarding environmental performance evidence from experimental and/or pilot plantations provides data to compare alternatives, however ambiguous or missing information often does not allow ranking alternatives. In such cases, expert knowledge from scientists and practitioners can be retrieved via personal communication or during workshops to provide qualitative judgments when objective information does not make sense. Pairwise comparisons of these judgments can yield quantified information in percentage priorities using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). These priorities can fill the missing part of evaluation matrices along with tangible indicators for MCDA algorithms. With numerous participants, this information must be aggregated using group decision algorithms. Group Decision methods properly integrating preferences in the presence of many participants in the decision-making process, found in the existing literature have been critically overviewed considering the degree of consensus among DMs to suggest appropriate algorithms. Along with conflicting objectives, trade-offs between costs versus tangible and intangible benefits can be estimated to assess appropriate measures to achieve sustainability through compromise solutions. Results This methodology is implemented to rank alternative cropping practices aiming at sustainability with the following steps. Firstly the policy maker decision problem is solved to rank the alternatives from the public interest point of view. Next the farmer decision problem is set up taking into account available data and subjective information. The solution is checked with regard to the observed choices and if necessary transformations modify the model parameters and/or algorithm. In fact bounded rationality is inserted in the analysis using the concepts of status quo and loss aversion. The positive model is then used to estimate levels of support sufficient to shift farmers’ choices from conventional practices to more environmentally friendly ones. The application of the aforementioned process is presented as illustration example on cereal cultivation in Poland. There is evidence that the ranking provided by PT-PROMETHEE better reproducing farmers’behaviour, then we can proceed to policy analysis. Thus we can determine the subsidy (increase to gross income per ha) so that the value of φ for alternative cultivation scenarios to outrank the conventional one. An ad hoc calculation can be done by means of simulations using the feature Goalseek in MS Excel spreadsheet. As a matter of fact we search how much the gross income of alternative practice should increase on top of the Basic Payment so that the difference φ (alternative tillage)- φ (FT)>ε. Iterative approximation suggests that gross margin should amounts are less than the differential of gross margins that usually determines the amount of subsidy proposed in the national strategic plan. That is a significant decrease to previously estimated minimum additional support. This is due to the fact that the aggregate performance of the alternatives reflects all particular performances in criteria considered by the decision maker, thus taking into account different dimensions of benefits, a smaller than the differential gross margin would incite the farmer to adopt alternative practices, provided that the decision maker is fully informed of the relative performance of alternatives in the entire spectrum of costs and benefits from arable cropping.

ABSTRACT. (Introduction) Soil health is one of the most important characteristics of the soil because it supports agricultural production, through promoting crop growth, improving the nutrient cycle and maintaining water retention (Doran, 2002). However, the Mediterranean region, including Tunisia, is facing significant challenges related to soil degradation, in particular erosion, salinization and loss of organic matter (Ferreira et al., 2022) and it is mainly due to intensive agricultural practices, urbanization, deforestation and poor land management, which can lead to desertification and a reduction in arable land (AbdelRahman, 2023). Regarding all these problems, it has become important to consider soil as a common good and adopt sustainable soil management practices because it will not only maintain soil productivity, but also contribute to mitigating of climate change through carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions reduction and promote the sustainability of natural resources (Nazir et al., 2024). Integrating new farming practices in the Tunisian cereal production systems is not an easy task, that’s why the purpose of this study is to identify the different challenges that could be faced in order to find solutions through the use of the Social-Ecological Systems (SES) Framework. (Methods) The SES framework was selected because of its interdisciplinary and specificity perspective while looking at the complexity of both social and ecological systems and their interactions (Guimarães et al., 2018). We focus on improving soil health in the Tunisian cereal production systems and the SES framework acts as a diagnostic tool that helps the challenges to reach this goal and discuss suitable solutions to the case study context. The application of the SES framework was done by combining data from three main sources: literature review, content analysis of semi-structured interviews with territorial actors and multi-actor workshop carried out in Tunisia. (Results) The work and the analysis is being developed, the final results will be presented at the conference

ABSTRACT. The Mediterranean region faces growing challenges from climate change, testing the resilience of existing farming systems. Since soil is fundamental to agriculture, building resilient agricultural systems in this region requires better soil management practices. Enhancing soil microbiota is one innovative path to prevent soil health degradation. Farming practices that improve soil microbiota imply changes at multiple levels of governance to modify current farmers’ practices, triggering a complex transition process. The Social-Ecological Systems (SES) framework provides a valuable approach to dissect the numerous variables influencing farmers' decision-making processes. In our study, we employed the SES framework to explore soil health improvement strategies in the context of durum wheat production in Italy. A hallmark of applied social research is the triangulation of methods and measures to offset the limitations of any single method. Therefore, three methodological approaches were used to gain a broader understanding of the issue and validate the data obtained. Our methodology began with a comprehensive literature review to identify key variables, further enriched through interviews with key stakeholders and two multi-actor workshops. These workshops provided a platform to detail the current context, explore alternative scenarios, identify challenges, and propose potential solutions. Content analysis guided by the SES framework shows that transitioning to farming practices that enhance soil microbiota requires multi-scale changes. At the farmer level, intercropping techniques may modify the final product to a mix of legumes and cereals. If crops are harvested separately, harvesting machinery must be adapted. Using fungal inocula as bio-stimulants (AMF-based inoculum) in durum wheat cultivation requires close farmer-researcher collaboration for cost-effective solutions. Policy reformulation is crucial for motivating farmers to change. Therefore, if soil health is to be a common good and mission objective, collective actions among farmers, researchers, and policymakers are essential.

ABSTRACT. Introduction Resilience is well aligned with the concept of sustainability and the efficient use of natural resources. Improvements in the resilience of small family farms in the Mediterranean Region at scales able to cause impact require the adoption of integrated and easily adaptable approaches that are scientifically-informed and consider all the aspects of conferring resilience (technical, social, economic, institutional) to farming systems. These solutions target mainly the soil health restoration (no tillage, intercropping, soil microbiota) will be evaluated in a pedo-climatic gradient) to design appropriate transition pathways of resilient and sustainable smallholder farms. RESCHEDULE employed a bottom-up multi-actor approach to stimulate a strong interaction between researchers and key actors (policy makers, farmers, private sector) of the agricultural sector from the proposal onset to identify compatible solutions for the adaptation of olive growing to climate change and climate extremes.

Methods Trade-off analysis (TOA) was established as a concept to generate quantitative information on competing (trade-offs) or complementary (synergies) indicators that can be used to guide policy and decision-making4. A typical TOA project starts with three preparatory steps: formulation of the research question, identification of which indicators to assess, and formulation of hypotheses about the relationships between the indicators and the associated trade-offs and synergies. Subsequently, the management, policy or technological changes that affect the TOA indicators can be identified and included in the analysis framework. Then, the trade-offs and synergies under changing conditions or scenarios can be quantified and, finally, the results are communicated to relevant stakeholders to inform decision-making and policy4

Results Olive tree cultivation alternatives include ‘conventional olive tree cultivation’ that is the status quo scenario (Sc1), ‘no tillage’ scenario 2 (using tracted crusher leaving biomass on the ground), ‘olive tree cultivation with application of biochar, produced from olive oil mill by-products (leaves, pomace, liquid wastewater)’ that is scenario 3 adding biochar for soil amendment, ‘Olive tree cultivation with application of shredder’ scenario 4 and the combined scenario 5 of ‘Olive tree cultivation no tillage with application of biochar’. The above alternatives are evaluated based on their contribution to selected ecosystem services namely Provisioning services: yield main and by-products, Regulating services (disease, water infiltration rate, microbial biodiversity: Shannon index), Supporting services (soil texture, nutrients, carbon sequestration) and last but not least Cultural services (renewal of traditional practices, recreation/tourism, science/education). Estimated performance is presented in the form of pay-off matrix whereas different farm types are considered. Conclusions on the business and the environmental sustainability at the farm level are reported.

ABSTRACT. Soil health is a critical component of agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability, influencing crop yield, quality, and ecosystem stability. Therefore, sustainability and crop production are closely related (Howe et al., 2024). It is not surprising that understanding in depth the key themes and trends in soil health research is essential for developing effective management practices and sustainable agricultural systems. Understanding the main aspects of academic research on soil health is of utmost significance for examining the directions scholars engage in in this field. By analyzing these key aspects, we can understand not only the volume and focus areas of current research, but also identify which topics are the most critical and where gaps in the literature exist. This thorough analysis enables us to prioritize future research efforts and develop more effective strategies for soil management and sustainable agriculture. Machine learning (ML) techniques, such as Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), may serve as powerful tools for analyzing large volumes of literature and uncovering hidden patterns and topics within the data. Particularly, by employing LDA, researchers can systematically identify and categorize the main areas of focus in soil health literature, providing valuable insights into current research priorities and guiding future studies. This approach employs the LDA method to analyze key themes in soil health literature, as scrutinized from the Scopus database, enhancing our understanding of soil health and also supporting the development of holistic and sustainable agricultural practices. This method has been used many times in similar analyses, particularly in a sustainability and circular economy framework (Tsironis et al., 2024). The analysis reveals two primary topics, the first one focusing on soil health and agricultural practices, highlighting the significance of organic methods, microbial activity, and biomass in enhancing soil quality and crop production, since key terms such as "soil," "management," "organic," and "microbial" emphasize the importance of holistic soil management practices. The second topic focuses on sustainable agriculture, emphasizing improving crop yield and quality, with this topic highlighting the role of soil health, water management, and environmental sustainability in agricultural productivity, with terms like "yield," "quality," "sustainable," and "environmental" pointing out the critical factors that influence sustainable agricultural practices.

ABSTRACT. SOLO project aims to deliver actionable transdisciplinary roadmaps for future soil-related research and innovation activities in the EU, contributing to achieving the objectives of the EU Soil Mission. To achieve this overarching goal, the project employs a transdisciplinary task force known as Think Tanks (TTs). omprising 10 Think Tanks, SOLO aligns these entities with the objectives set forth by the EU Soil Mission Board. Within our specific TT, we focus on the Soil Mission objective 5, “Prevent erosion”. Broadly, this objective is to reduce “the area of land currently affected by unsustainable erosion from 25% to sustainable levels” (EC, 2021a). In the conference our aim to present and discuss the current version of the roadmap we have developed so far and that be consulted in: https://doi.org/10.3897/soils4europe.e118669 This roadmap serves as a platform to underscore the existing knowledge gaps that should be considered in the future research and innovation agenda of the EU to attain the set target. To comprehensively grasp and systematise the three identified types of knowledge gaps, our Think Tank has strategically incorporated three distinct categories of experts:

Soil-Related Scientists: Experts in this category bring specialised knowledge in soil-related sciences. Their expertise is crucial for discerning gaps within existing Research and Innovation priorities related to soil erosion which also includes Social Sciences’ and Humanities’ insights.

Practitioners: The inclusion of practitioners is vital for a grounded perspective on the knowledge implementation gaps. These experts bring first-hand experience and practical insights, shedding light on challenges faced during the actual application of existing and transferred knowledge.

Implementation and Integration Scientists: This group focuses on the practical aspects of knowledge integration (Hoffmann et al. 2022). Their role is pivotal in bridging the diversity of knowledge types by identifying and addressing the missing links. Moreover, they contribute with insights into overcoming challenges associated with the implementation of knowledge in diverse contexts.

These groups worked in an iterative way to prepare the second version of this live document. Aware that we have failed to involve all necessary experts and to systematise all the available and ongoing effort related to soil erosion, we are eager to receive your revision so that the next version of these documents reflects more accurately and completely the knowledge gaps that need to be tackled in the future Research and Innovation agenda in the EU. We have an important task ahead of us that we take seriously but we are also very aware that we cannot achieve it alone. So, thank you very much for the time you dedicate to the revision of this second version.

ABSTRACT. Life on Earth depends on healthy soils. These rich layers beneath our feet serve as the bedrock of our food systems, they provide clean water and habitats for biodiversity while contributing to climate resilience. Moreover, soil supports our cultural heritage and landscapes and is the basis of our economy and prosperity. However, soils are under multiple pressures, including climate change, urbanization, pollution, overexploitation, and biodiversity loss. In this light, alarming reports from the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO) reveal that 60-70% of European soils are affected by at least one soil degradation process (e.g. soil erosion by water), and thence they can be considered unhealthy. In response to this urgent call, the European Union has developed the EU Soil Mission: A Soil Deal for Europe. With a commitment of 1 billion euros, this transformative endeavor aims to establish 100 living labs and lighthouses to lead the transition towards healthy soils by 2030 while funding a cornucopia of projects dedicated to this aim. Among these projects, one example refer to the Soils for Europe – SOLO. More precisely, the SOLO project operates in alignment with the EU Soil Mission that highlights the necessity of: i) actionable research and innovation roadmaps for its concretization; and, ii) an overarching transdisciplinary agenda to identify the thematic and regional trade-offs and synergies that allow the sustainable use, management, and protection of European soils. Defining such an agenda requires the direct involvement of a wide range of stakeholders, bringing together multiple perspectives and ecological, environmental, economic and social contexts. To do that, at the core of SOLO is the implementation of Think Tanks, one for each Soil Mission objective, with the aim of co-creating knowledge and identifying the knowledge gaps, drivers, bottlenecks, and novel approaches, as well as suggesting Key Performance Indicators to monitor the progress of the Soil Mission Research & Innovation related activities. This study presents the activities of the SOLO Land Degradation Think Tank, aligned with Specific Objective 1 of the Soil Mission. Land degradation is a dynamic and complex phenomenon impacting soil at both European and global scales. According to the Soil Mission Implementation Plan [1], data from all EU Member States indicate that 83% of agricultural soils contain residual pesticides. Approximately 2.8 million sites are potentially contaminated, with only 65,500 of these sites having been remediated by 2018. Moreover, 24% of EU land is experiencing unsustainable rates of erosion caused by water, 23% of the land is compacted, and 520 million tonnes of soil are excavated and treated as waste, despite most of it not being contaminated. To address these issues the Land Degradation Think Tank aims to: • Identify and enumerate key knowledge gaps related to land degradation in the EU through a multidisciplinary approach. • Identify and delineate drivers and obstacles (bottlenecks) that hinder land health in the EU. • Determine the needs and priorities of the EU to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality by 2050. • Identify and describe pioneering actions and activities crucial for overcoming barriers to land health. • Co-develop a research and innovation roadmap for the EU Soil Mission regarding land degradation and integrate it into an overarching roadmap addressing the eight mission objectives. To achieve these objectives, an extensive literature review comprising 165 scientific articles was conducted. This review aimed to identify existing knowledge gaps, issues in knowledge transfer, potential solutions, and plausible barriers to achieving soil health so as to shape the regarding roadmap. The Think Tank includes at the moment 18 stakeholders (this number is continuously growing) from various scientific, cultural and societal backgrounds. These stakeholders assisted in reviewing the collected information, suggesting additional literature, and highlighting key areas of focus. Further refinement of the roadmap was facilitated through a meeting held in the first year of the SOLO project, attended by approximately 30 stakeholders from across Europe, who reviewed and provided feedback on the roadmap. Additional insights were gathered during the Soil Week event, where contributions from various stakeholders, particularly from Greece, were incorporated. These engagements were critical in shaping a comprehensive and inclusive preliminary roadmap (Figure 1) and scoping document [2] for addressing land degradation in the EU.

ABSTRACT. EUropean soil ERosion field measurements at Plot scale

ABSTRACT. At the end of the workshop follows a discussion chaired by Nikolaos Stathopoulos and Mª Helena Guimarães