SOILGUARD Wrap-Up: Final Consortium Meeting Concludes Four-Year Journey in Barcelona

27 June 2025 | Barcelona, Spain

Last week, partners from across Europe gathered at the Leitat Technological Center in Barcelona to mark the successful conclusion of the SOILGUARD project. Over four years, this ambitious initiative has deepened our understanding of soil biodiversity and its critical role in ecosystem services, delivering science-based guidance to shape EU and international soil policies.

Celebrating Four Years of Impact

From the very first consortium meeting, our goal was clear: to bridge cutting-edge research with real-world policy and practice. Key achievements include:

• • Advancing Soil Biodiversity Science
    Unlocking the relationships between soil organisms and ecosystem functions, our teams generated robust datasets that now inform soil health indicators.
  • Policy Recommendations
    Evidence-based proposals crafted by SOILGUARD experts have been submitted to the European Commission and the Global Soil Partnership, strengthening both EU soil strategies and wider global frameworks.
  • Strategic Partnerships
    By collaborating with international bodies, we’ve helped integrate soil health into broader environmental and agricultural agendas, ensuring lasting impact beyond the project’s lifespan.

Final Meeting Highlights

Hosted by Leitat in their state-of-the-art facilities, the meeting combined plenary sessions, breakout workshops, and site visits. Participants:

Presentation of Key Results: Lead scientists showcased breakthroughs in soil biodiversity monitoring and modeling of ecosystem services.

Integration Workshop: Partners debated how upcoming Mission Soil projects and other research initiatives can leverage SOILGUARD’s tools and datasets in their work.

Policy Roundtable: Policy-makers and end-users discussed strategies to embed our recommendations into national soil health plans across Europe.

Special Thanks

A heartfelt thank you to all consortium members for your dedication and collaboration.

What’s Next for SOILGUARD’s Legacy?

While the project doors may be closing, the journey continues:

Future Mission Soil Projects will adopt our methodologies to push soil health research even further.

International Frameworks are set to incorporate SOILGUARD’s recommendations into their soil conservation guidelines.

Ongoing Collaborations among partners will develop training modules, workshops, and knowledge-sharing platforms to keep the momentum alive.

Stay tuned to our website and social channels for updates on spin-off activities, publications, and upcoming events inspired by SOILGUARD’s work. Together, we’ll continue to safeguard the very foundation of life beneath our feet.