Next generation soil advisors

Closed

Programme Category

EU Competitive Programmes

Programme Name

Horizon Europe (2021-2027)

Programme Description

Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.

Programme Details

Identifier Code

HORIZON-MISS-2021-SOIL-02-08

Call

Next generation soil advisors

Summary

The objective of this topic is to promote the emergence of specialised “soil advisors” and to strengthen the skills of existing advisors and in view of promoting the uptake of innovations for sustainable land management practices by farmers, foresters and other land managers and owners throughout Europe.

Detailed Call Description

The proposed activities will:

  • identify, map, and connect – also within the framework of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) – the main actors relevant to the development, acquisition, exchange and application of knowledge to improve soil health related practices. This can include advisory services, farmers, foresters, other land managers and land owners or land managers’ associations as well as relevant civil society organisations, researchers, and public authorities;
  • screen existing educational resources and tools (i.e. digital tools, networks, educational resources etc.) applicable to the various aspects of land management and the prevention of soil degradation;
  • develop, test and share best practices on curricula, tools and methods to strengthen the skills and competences of soil advisors taking due account of novel approaches for interactive innovation and of the potential of digital technologies for acquiring, exchanging and disseminating knowledge and know-how;
  • create testing grounds for new forms of soil advice and (digital) tools, peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and practitioner-driven experimentation, in particular on the management of nutrients, soil organic carbon and biodiversity. This task should be undertaken by making use – where available – of the FaST tool developed in Member States as part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and by assessing its effectiveness and benefits (in economic, agronomic and environmental terms). The future Regulation establishing rules on support for the CAP Strategic Plans includes, within the provision on the farm advisory services, the Farm Sustainability Tool (FaST) etc. (work programme page 201)
  • develop a comprehensive toolbox of resources in various EU languages for the training of soil advisors and their interactions with land managers and propose strategies (including financial models) to sustain and update training outputs and tools developed and compiled throughout the project.

Focusing on agriculture where advisory services already exist, activities shall explore avenues for introducing soil advice into management and decision-making regarding other land uses (e.g. forest and urban land), taking into account different pedo-climatic and socio-economic conditions across Europe.

Call Total Budget

€5,00 million

Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan

100%

EU contribution per project: €5,00 million

Thematic Categories

  • Agriculture - Farming - Forestry
  • Land Development
  • Rural development

Eligibility for Participation

  • Central Government
  • Farmers Unions
  • Farmers, Agriculturalists
  • Private Bodies
  • Producer Associations
  • Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
  • State-owned Enterprises

Call Opening Date

22/12/2021

Call Closing Date

24/03/2022

National Contact Point(s)

Research and Innovation Foundation

29a Andrea Michalakopoulou Street, 1075 Nicosia
T.Th. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
+357 22205000
Email: support@research.org.cy

Dr Angelos Ntantos
Scientific Officer
Telephone: 35722205033
Email: antantos@research.org.cy

Dr Ioannis Theodorou

Scientific Officer
Telephone: 35722205038
Email: itheodorou@research.org.cy

(Publish Date: 04/01/2022-for internal use only)

EU Contact Point

European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/research-and-innovation_en#contact