Thematic debate on the EU Soil Strategy for 2030

Scope and objectives

With its wide-ranging impacts, the "EU Soil Strategy for 2030 – Reaping the benefits of healthy soils for people, food, nature and climate" is a key initiative bearing on three priorities of the NAT Section work programme, namely :

  • Fostering a comprehensive food policy
  • Restoring and preserving natural capital
  • Designing a holistic strategy on sustainable rural/urban development.

The thematic debate on 9 March 2022 will be held in the context of the discussion and adoption of the opinion NAT/838 New EU Soil Strategy.

No registration is required. The event will be webstreamed on the EESC's dedicated webpage, save the date in your agenda and watch it live! Interpretation will be available into EN and FR and viewers will have the opportunity to engage in the debate using the platform Slido, with the code #SoilStrategy.

Context

Soil and the multitude of organisms that live in it provide us with food, biomass and fibres, raw materials, regulate the water, carbon and nutrient cycles and make life on land possible. Soil hosts more than 25% of all biodiversity on the planet and is the foundation of the food chains nourishing humanity and above ground biodiversity. Healthy soils are also the largest terrestrial carbon pool on the planet.

To reap the benefits of healthy soils for people, food, nature and climate, the Commission has proposed a renewed Soil Strategy that sets out a framework and concrete measures, and that mobilises the necessary societal engagement and financial resources to ensure that by 2050, all EU soil ecosystems are in healthy condition and are thus more resilient. The strategy works in synergy with the other EU policies stemming from the European Green Deal (EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, Nature Restoration Law, Forest Strategy, Chemicals Strategy, Zero Pollution Action Plan, Farm to fork Strategy, Common Agriculture Policy, Climate Adaptation Strategy).