States general for soil health – III edition: opportunities for soil regeneration and climate neutrality: carbon farming and nature-based solutions. National session

According to the European Soil Observatory, about 60 to 70% of soils in the EU are currently likely to be affected by one or more soil degradation processes, among all by soil sealing.
Agricultural soils annually lose 7.4 million tons of CO2 due to the too-rapid mineralization that occurs, almost unnoticed, under agricultural crops, the same soil where seventy-eight percent of soil consumption occurs. Ecosystems in the Mediterranean area are particularly vulnerable and the region itself is warming 20% faster than the global average (source: UNEP).
Unhealthy soil generates side effects and is unable to provide essential ecosystem services, such as: producing safe nutrition and food, providing biodiversity, purifying and regulating water and its cycle, ensuring adequate nutrient cycling, storing CO2 contributing to carbon and mitigating climate, and ultimately supporting human activities as a whole.
Lately, the debate about the urgent need for soil conservation has increased at all levels in Europe, partially due to the efforts of the European Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”. And the publication of the Soil Strategy in November 2022 launched the process to adopt a Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience.

The third edition of the “States General for Soil Health – opportunities for soil regeneration and climate neutrality: carbon positive actions and nature-based solutions” will take place on 7th November 2024. In the morning session, the latest European policy updates and an overview of the key elements needed to protect soil health, such as carbon farming and nature-based solutions, as well as best practices for soil regeneration on different types of soil’s use will be explored and discussed. The afternoon session will offer an overview of the Italian scenario, with a focus on regenerative agriculture and on best practice of soil regenation in the local communties.

Session Chairs

Debora Fino, Turin Polytechnic, Re Soil Foundation President
Claudio Ciavatta, University of Bologna, Re Soil Foundation Board Member

Programme

14.30-14.45 Keynote: One Health approach for soil health
Francesco Giardina, Coldiretti

14.45-14.55 Introduction by the Chairs

14.55-15.30 Italian policy framework update

14.55-15.10 Soil health monitoring in the “EU Soil Monitoring Law” framework
Francesca Assennato, ISPRA

15.10-15.25 National forestry strategy and the carbon credit registry
Ilaria Falconi, CREA

15.30-16.00 Regenerative agriculture-best practices

15.30-15.40 What is regenerative organic agriculture
Dario Fornara, Davines/Rodale Institute EU 

15.40-15.50 The use of compost for soil regeneration
Massimo Centemero, CIC

15.50-16.00 Biogas for sustainable agriculture-case study
Lorella Rossi, Consorzio Italiano Biogas

16.00-16.30 Soil regeneration in the local community

16.00-16.10 How to help farmers adopt regenerative agriculture practices
Andrea Ferrarini, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

16.10-16.20 Example of Living lab in Italy (EU project)
Eleonora Bonifacio, Living SoiLL

16.20-16.30 Soil literacy and citizen engagement: “Prepsoil” 
Margherita Caggiano, Re Soil Foundation 

16.30-16.45 ECHO project presented by ECHO Amdassadors
Cosimo Masini e Andrea Butelli

16.45 Q&A and Conclusions