11.03.2021 | – A conversation on the future of European soil
This is a virtual event
Europe’s most precious resource: How can we kick start the transition in soil management?
Thursday, March 11, 2021 – 10:30 – 12:00 CET
This webinar will take the format of a conversation; bringing together experts who are already working on shifting how we manage our soils in Europe for the better. The webinar will move away from the traditional format of presentations, and engage the speakers in a discussion to converge their ideas and experiences of how this transition will come about.
Soil is at the very heart of so many of the challenges we face today, and so many of the solutions. It has a crucial role to play in climate mitigation, climate resilience, future food security, water and nutrient management, and biodiversity, to name but a few. This is not news, the importance of addressing the deterioration of our soils has long been understood, and has been targeted in a range of policy initiatives. However, the state of EU soils continues to worsen. And whilst there are still large gaps in our understanding of certain aspects of soil, a well established body of evidence is showing how farm practises can be adapted to turn around soil health and reduce soil loss.
This workshop will kick off the RISE project on soil, which will run over the next 18 months. It will take an active, practical approach to discussing how we can take what we know on soil management and incentivising a change in farming practices, to provoke a new and positive phase in farming, and a collective food chain responsibility, so that in 10 years time, we will be having a very different conversation on soil.
The event will consist in a conversation between the moderator Allan Buckwell (RISE Foundation) and the four invited speakers:
- Mellany Klompe – Director of the Soil Heroes Foundation
- Claire Chenu – Research director at INRAE
- Harri Smit – Senior Analyst, Farm Inputs and Farming at RaboResearch food and Agribusiness, Rabobank)
- Kerstin Rosenow – Head of Unit ‘Research & Innovation’, DG AGRI, European Commission
Agenda
- Opening address – Janez Potočnik
- Introduction to the subject – Allan Buckwell
- A conversation with the speakers, moderated by Allan Buckwell
- Q&A
- Summary – Allan Buckwell
- Closing address – Janez Potočnik
This event is part of the Forum of the Future for Agriculture 2021 programme