Seventh European Soil Partnership Plenary Assembly, 10 September 2020, online (zoom platform). Presenter: Gergely Toth

1. PROMOTE TARGETED SOIL RESEARCH
FOR EUROPE AND BEYOND
ESP PILLAR 3
Gergely Tóth, Coen Ritsema, Suhad Saleh, Nancy Francis
with input from other WG members

2. PILLAR 3 – GSP background
Defined opportunities within GSP Pillar 3 for improved promotion of soil research and
development
 Relevance of soil research and development in today’s society
 Interdisciplinary nature of soils
 Gaps, priorities and synergies with related productive, environmental and social developmemt
actions
 Coordination to strengthen global soil R&D activities
Recommendations of GSP Pillar 3
 Encourage inter- and transdisciplinary soil research and development ...
 Capitalize on existing R&D research initiatives and outputs through meta-analysis / synthesis reviews …
 Compile for all partners evidence of the return of investment in soil research …
 Foster synergy and engagement between research and end-user communities, and donor agencies …
GSP Pillar 3 links to all other Pillars
 Pillar 1 – Promote sustainable management of soil resources and sustainable productivity
 Pillar 2 – Encourage investment, cooperation, policy, education, awareness and extension in soils
 Pillar 4 – Enhance the quantity, quality and availability of soil data and information
 Pillar 5 – Harmonization of methods, measurements and indicators for sustainable use of soil resources

3. Output target Activities 2019/2020 to be
performed in
2020
to be
performed
beyond 2020
1/a. Review prioritized soil
research agenda for Europe
- Contact with the EJP-Soil consortium
was established and made regular. (Stock-
taking on soil and soil management: first
output is foreseen at the end of 2020.)
- A PhD project has started and
unfortunately ended during COVID
situation
- Assessment of past and current trends
in soil science has started. Metadata
database of soil priority topics has been
established, a comparative classification
of soil science sub-disciplines is done.
- Further
interaction with EJP
SOIL (stocktaking)
- First results of the
assessment
- Further close
collaboration
with EJP SOIL
- Full report on
the results of
the assessment
in 2021.
1/b. Review the needs of the
ESP five ESP Pillars in terms of
inter- and transdisciplinary
research
- Contact with the EJP-Soil consortium
was established and made regular. (Stock-
taking on soil and soil management: first
output is foreseen at the end of 2020.)
- Priority topics
and research
agenda set
1. Review and promote targeted soil research

4. Output target Activities 2019/2020 to be
performed in
2020
to be
performed
beyond 2020
2. Assessing the
feasibility of
implementation of
strategic research
and innovation
roadmaps in relation
to agendas of end-user
communities
This activity was in parallel
started in 2020 within the EJP
Soil consortium, which
established National Hubs
throughout Europe.
- Liaise with AJP
SOIL for the
formulation of
a possible joint
report
2. Highlight benefits of soil research to
environment and society

5. Output target Current status
3. Evaluate the return (impact
/cost benefit) of investment in
soil research
Rescheduled for the next term
by ESP Plenary.
Recommendation 3 – Highlight the profitability of
soil research investment

6. Recommendation 4 – Soil research internet platform
ANY OTHER SUGGESTION IS WELCOME!
Output target Current status
4. Initiate a web-based platform for a
structured inventory of soil research
partners, facilities, infrastructures, soil
research programs and metadata on
available soil information across
Europe.
No development as no funding was
received for portal establishment and
maintenance.

7. Recommendation 5 – Promotion of ESP through
dissemination of research results
Output target Activities 2019/2020 to be performed
in 2020
to be
performed
beyond
2020
5. Promotion of the
European Soil
Partnership
programme, specifically
the one of Pillar 3
Promotion on different events
(workshops etc.)
Continue
promotion
Continue
promotion

8. PILLAR 3 - DISCUSSION and NEXT STEPS
Comments/remarks
 Pillar 3 functions without funding so far.
 Participating institutes and experts invested time to progress (voluntarily).
 Implementation of some targets (e.g. internet platform) is not feasible without funding.
 Progress in the assessment of soil research priorities. Assessment report is foreseen in 2021.
 Good collaboration with EJP SOIL consortium, which identifies research gaps and operates
National Hubs of stakeholders.
 Collaboration with a number of other H2020 projects (LANDSUPPORT, OPTAIN, SIEUSOIL,
LEX4BIO etc.) for possible synergies in the future.
 Developments in 2020 provides good ground for enhancing collaboration between other
Pillars and other regional partnerships in 2021 and beyond in selected topics.

9. THANK YOU!