PRIMA reinforces its commitment to promoting sustainable soil management and contributing to the restoration of degraded lands by signing the EU Mission Soil Manifesto.
The Mission Soil Manifesto emphasizes the urgent need for action to safeguard soil health, rallying regions, municipalities, organizations, businesses, schools, citizens, and all stakeholders to unite in the common cause of soil protection. The Manifesto is part of the activities under the Horizon Europe Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ which legal basis is the Regulation (EU) 2021/695.
PRIMA, the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean, envisions a future where agricultural soils are sustainably managed to prevent further degradation and promote the restoration of already degraded lands. Through the development of numerous good practices and innovative approaches implemented by its funded projects, PRIMA actively works to enhance soil sustainability and protect the vital resource that is soil.
So far, the total budget of PRIMA projects dealing with soil is approximately 51.986.163Euro (€).
One of PRIMA’s core focuses is on agroecological practices that have proven to be effective in promoting sustainable soil management. These practices include agroforestry, conservation agriculture, sustainable pasture management, and the safe use of unconventional water resources. PRIMA emphasizes the importance of integrating corresponding assessment, planning, and management tools to ensure the successful implementation of these practices on a large scale.
PRIMA’s Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda identifies a Soil Sustainability Cross-cutting theme that encompasses crucial focus areas to address the challenges facing agricultural soils. One of these focus areas is reducing land degradation, which includes combatting issues such as erosion, desertification, and salinization.
Another critical focus area highlighted by PRIMA is increasing land restoration. Through initiatives like crop diversification, inter-cropping, and employing soil and water conservation methods, PRIMA aims to boost soil organic matter stocks and improve soil health. By doing so, they effectively mitigate water depletion and enhance food production sustainably.
PRIMA also underscores the importance of assessing soil quality using soil indicators. By understanding soil health through reliable indicators, PRIMA can develop informed strategies to address soil challenges and implement targeted measures for improvement.
Becoming a signatory of the Mission Soil Manifesto holds significant importance, as it demonstrates an unwavering dedication to soil health protection and restoration, thereby fostering a more sustainable future.
