This issue of the SoilHood newsletter brings you the latest updates from the NBSOIL Project, including the NBSOIL Policy Brief, Knowledge Base, and Glossary, plus the lowdown on exciting events and inspiring stories on soil health.
So sit back, relax, and join us as we explore the fascinating world beneath our feet!
NBSOIL Updates
Latest news and developments from the NBSOIL project and partners
NBSOIL Policy Brief: Assessing the Future CAP Commitment to Soil Health
The NBSOIL Project has prepared a set of policy recommendations to support a stronger focus on soil health in the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). As Europe moves into a new programming period, healthy soils are essential for resilient food systems, climate action, biodiversity, and long-term productivity.
Towards Valuable Advice for Farmers in the Netherlands
In September 2025, 20 participants began their soil advisor training within the NBSOIL Project at Aeres University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. The group includes farmers, advisors, suppliers, contractors, water boards, and other authorities. The programme combines online learning through the NBSOIL Academy Module 1 with nine in-person sessions on soil science, water management, fertilisation, soil life, resilience, and climate adaptation. Participants work together on case studies using Best4Soil tools, making interaction a key part of the training.
The NBSOIL Project is pleased to announce that it has joined the organising team of the Soils for Europe Conference, which will take place from 7 to 11 September 2026 in Coimbra, Portugal. Led by the SOLO project, this event will be co-organised by several Mission Soil projects, including CURIOSOIL, SOIL TRIBES, SPADES, and BENCHMARKS. The conference will feature sessions on Soil Mission objectives, with a strong focus on Soil Health Living Labs and opportunities for interaction among participants.
Check out our new Scientific Publications section! Explore NBSOIL’s research results and resources, designed to inspire and support further academic and applied studies.
The NBSOIL Academy aims to support both current and aspiring soil advisors in integrating Nature-based Solutions (NBS) into their practices. Our goal is to equip participants with the essential knowledge and skills for effective NBS implementation in soil management.
The NBSOIL Academy Voices section brings you thoughts and experiences from participants of the NBSOIL Academy.
NBSOIL Visioning Cards
The Visioning Cards offer a flexible visual language for describing and defining soil challenges and solutions. They support soil advisors and educators in explaining soil health concepts to a wide range of audiences, distilling knowledge from soil textbooks and manuals into clear, accessible formats. The cards make learning about soil both engaging and enjoyable.
Forest diversification is the practice of managing forests to increase their biodiversity by introducing variability in their composition, structure, and genotypic complexity. NBSOIL aims to encourage moving away from clear-cutting timber harvesting and monoculture tree plantation to help prevent erosion and landslides, improve water quality, and increase resistance to wildfires and wind storms. The knowledge base presents a portfolio of NBS for soil health, aligned with the objectives of the EU Mission on Soil.
Publications, news and more on soil health beyond NBSOIL
NEW REPORT: Government backing of organic could deliver huge social and economic benefits
Organic is for all, not just for the privileged few. This new report shows that bridging the gap between climate, nature-friendly food, and people on low incomes, whilst supporting our growers is possible. A small increase in government support for organic fruit and vegetables could deliver huge national returns for communities across the UK, according to a new Bridging the Gap report from Sustain.
The EGU General Assembly 2026 brings together geoscientists from all over the world to cover all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. The EGU aims to provide a forum where scientists, especially early career researchers, can present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geoscience. The call for abstracts closes on 15 January 2026.
Every January the Oxford Real Farming Conference connects people in the UK and beyond who want to transform our food and farming system. This event will take place in Oxford, UK, on 8-9 January 2026.
A quick reference to essential terms in soil health
NBSOIL Project Glossary: Biodiversity Biological diversity means the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part. This includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.
