TRAILS4SOIL - Improving soil health via regenerative & conservation agriculture
The TRAILS4SOIL project fosters soil health across Europe through regenerative and conservation agriculture practices and Living Labs, enabling co-creation of sustainable innovations with farmers and stakeholders.
Fiche signalétique
- Départements participants Haute école des sciences agronomiques, forestières et alimentaires
- Institut(s) Agronomie
- Unité(s) de recherche Sols et géoinformation
- Organisation d'encouragement Europäische Union
- Durée (prévue) 01.07.2025 - 30.06.2030
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Direction du projet
Dr. Sina Blösch
Prof. Dr. Bernhard Streit - Équipe du projet Dr. Sina Blösch
- Partenaire State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI)
- Mots-clés soil health, regenerative agriculture, conservation agriculture, living labs, EU Horizon Europe, sustainable farming
Situation
Soil degradation threatens the productivity, biodiversity and climate resilience of European agriculture. Decades of intensive management have led to erosion, loss of organic matter and declining soil health, reducing the capacity of soils to store carbon and retain water. The EU Soil Mission aims for 75% of soils to be healthy by 2030, but progress towards this goal remains limited. Regenerative and Conservation Agriculture (ReCAP) offers promising pathways to reverse these trends through minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, crop diversification and better integration of livestock and landscape functions. However, widespread adoption requires locally adapted practices, active engagement of farmers and stakeholders, and sound evidence on environmental and economic benefits. TRAILS4SOIL addresses these challenges by co-developing, testing and scaling ReCAP practices across Europe through an interconnected network of Living Labs.
Approche
TRAILS4SOIL establishes five Living Labs in nine countries, engaging around 100 farms to co-create, test and scale regenerative and conservation agriculture practices under real farming conditions. The project follows an iterative Living Lab process combining stakeholder co-design, on-farm experimentation and shared learning. Each Living Lab involves farmers, researchers, advisors, policymakers and value chain actors to identify locally adapted solutions that improve soil health, biodiversity and economic resilience. The Bern University of Applied Sciences, School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (BFH-HAFL/BUAS), coordinates the network of Living Labs and leads Living Lab 2, which focuses on regenerative approaches towards organic farming systems in Switzerland and Austria. Harmonised monitoring protocols ensure comparability of data across regions, while cross-Lab exchange, training, field demonstrations and policy dialogue foster broader uptake and long-term impact of regenerative practices across Europe.
