RECARE Project – Finding and sharing solutions to protect our soils

RECARE-Projektbroschüre

RECARE Project – Finding and sharing solutions to protect our soils

Publication: Brochure
Citation: Mills, Jane and Matt Reed (eds.) 2018: RECARE Project – Finding and sharing solutions to protect our soils. RECARE project brochure.

This brochure describes the threats to soils in Europe, how the RECARE project has addressed these, and provides clear examples of soil management options and policy solutions. Ecologic Institute's Ana Frelih-Larsen and Sandra Naumann contributed to the RECARE project brochure, which is available for download.

Increasingly, the crucial importance of soils for the well-being of human society is being recognised. In many parts of the world, soil is being lost faster than it forms, and its functions are being lost or diminished, which impacts ecosystem services. In Europe, a number of threats to our soil have been identified in the European Soil Thematic Strategy, these include: soil erosion, salinization, compaction, desertification, floods and landslides, loss of organic matter, contamination, sealing and loss of soil biodiversity. Contemporary soil science has created a suite of practical management responses that address these threats.

Contact

Dr. Ana Frelih-Larsen

Senior Fellow

Land Take and Soil Sealing – Drivers, Trends and Policy (Legal) Instruments

Insights from European Cities

Year 2019

Publication:Policy Brief

The problem of historical contamination remains an important gap in European policymaking on soils. Political commitment is required to address the issue of historical contamination systematically by providing a common EU framework to guide and facilitate activities at the national level, where in turn establishing and implementing national strategies for managing soil contamination is important. Finally, improving knowledge, sharing, and availability of existing information, and engaging stakeholders in the process of remediating soil contamination is recommended by the authors, lead by Ana Frelih-Larsen and Sophie Ittner of Ecologic Institute. The RECARE policy brief is available for download.

Remediating Historical Soil Contamination

Effective Measures and Policy Solutions

Year 2018

Publication:Policy Brief

The persistent damaging impacts of subsoil compaction call for policy intervention in order to secure yields and adapt to climate change, as well as to sustain soil ecosystem services for future generations. The authors of this RECARE Policy Brief, including Ana Frelih-Larsen of Ecologic Institute, demand that policy responses need to address the underlying drivers of farmers' decision-making concerning field traffic through a systematic and coordinated approach for sustainable soil management in Europe. The RECARE policy brief is available for download.

Subsoil Compaction – A threat to sustainable food production and soil ecosystem services

Year 2018

Publication:Policy Brief

Despite the extensive loss of productive soils and the valuable ecosystem services that soils provide, the awareness of the magnitude and negative implications of these processes remain relatively low. In this RECARE policy brief, Ecologic Institute's Sandra Naumann and Ana Frelih-Larsen together with Gundula Prokop from the Austrian Environment Agency illustrate the scale of the problem and identify ready-made solutions and steps policy makers and practitioners can take across different levels, from city planning to national and European level. The RECARE policy brief is available for download.

Soil Sealing and Land Take

Year 2018

Event:Conference

What is the best way forward for soil protection in the EU? How can we improve EU policies to secure the delivery of soil ecosystem services? These questions were the focus of the final policy conference of the RECARE project which took place on 27 September 2018 in Brussels. More than 100 participants from 21 countries participated in the conference.

Preventing and Remediating Degradation of Soils in Europe – RECARE Final Policy Conference

27 September 2018
Brussels, Belgium

Project:FP 7

from 2013 until 2018, the RECARE project applied a transdisciplinary approach, actively integrating and advancing knowledge of stakeholders and scientists in 17 case studies, to identify and develop effective measures for improved soil protection in Europe. Ecologic Institute developed policy briefs on the topics "Soil Sealing and Land Take", "Subsoil compaction" and "Remediating Historical Soil Contamination, as well as co-wrote the brochure with the most important project findings. The policy briefs and the project brochure are available for download.

Preventing and Remediating Soil Degradation (RECARE)

Nov 2013 - Oct 2018

Language

English

Credits

Editors:
Jane Mills, and Matt Reed (CCRI, University of Gloucestershire)

Contributors:
Rudi Hessel (Wageningen Environmental Research), scientific project coordinator
Erik van den Elsen (Wageningen Environmental Research)
Ana Frelih-Larsen and Sandra Naumann (Ecologic Institute)
Jannes Stolte (NIBIO)
Felicitas Bachmann (University of Bern)
Godert van Lynden (ISRIC)
Jan Jacob Keizer, Sandra Valente and Ana Fernandes (University of Aveiro)
Luuk Fleskens (Wageningen University & Research)
Hedwig van Delden (RIKS)

Funding

European Commission, Directorate-General Research & Innovation (DG Research & Innovation), International

Year

2018

Dimension

16 pp.

Project

Preventing and Remediating Soil Degradation (RECARE)

Project ID

Table of contents

Click to show full table of contents

Keywords

Agriculture

Cities

Land Use

soil management, agriculture, climate change, ecosystem services, soil functions

Europe

brochure

Download: RECARE Project – Finding and sharing solutions to protect our soils [pdf, 0.5 MB, English]

Attachments

2730-recare-projectbrochure_finalweb.pdf (451.95 KB)

Further Links

PublicationInfographicAssigning Soil Values for Land Use Categories Based on Soil Threats

This infographic provides a brief overview of soil values for Land Use Categories based on soil threats. The infographic is licensed under a Creative Commons license CC BY-ND 4.0, i. e. it can be used without any changes, if the author is mentioned. The infographic... Read more

Ecologic Institute (2018): Assigning Soil Values for Land Use Categories Based on Soil Threats. Infographics in 2 versions (German and English).

PublicationBookInternational Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy 2016

The first volume of the International Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy includes an important discussion on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals that are the basis for the post-2015 development agenda up to the year 2030; the Yearbook focuses in... Read more

Ginzky, Harald et al. (ed.) 2017: International Yearbook Of Soil Law And Policy 2016. 1st ed. Springer International Publishing Switzerland.

PublicationReportUpdated Inventory and Assessment of Soil Protection Policy Instruments in EU Member States

The approach to analysis, with the different steps involved, and the role of the clusters.

Based on a comprehensive analysis of EU laws and nationally initiated policies in 28 Member States, a new study led by Ecologic Institute assesses how existing EU legislation protects soils, identifying gaps and incoherencies in policy coverage. While valuable, and in... Read more

Frelih-Larsen, A., C. Bowyer, S. Albrecht, C. Keenleyside, M. Kemper, S. Nanni, S. Naumann, R., D. Mottershead, R. Landgrebe, E. Andersen, P. Banfi, S. Bell, I. Brémere, J. Cools, S. Herbert, A. Iles, E. Kampa, M. Kettunen, Z. Lukacova, G. Moreira, Z. Kiresiewa, J. Rouillard, J. Okx, M. Pantzar, K. Paquel, R. Pederson, A. Peepson, F. Pelsy, D. Petrovic, E. Psaila, B. Šarapatka, J. Sobocka, A.-C. Stan, J. Tarpey, R. Vidaurre (2016). ‘Updated Inventory and Assessment of Soil Protection Policy Instruments in EU Member States.’ Final Report to DG Environment. Berlin: Ecologic Institute.

PublicationPolicy BriefSoil Sealing and Land Take

RECARE Policy Brief

Despite the extensive loss of productive soils and the valuable ecosystem services that soils provide, the awareness of the magnitude and negative implications of these processes remain relatively low. In this RECARE policy brief, Ecologic Institute's Sandra Naumann and... Read more

Naumann, Sandra; Ana Frelih-Larsen and Gundula Prokop 2018: Soil Sealing and Land Take. RECARE Policy Brief. Ecologic Institute, Environment Agency: Berlin, Vienna.

PublicationPolicy BriefSubsoil Compaction – A threat to sustainable food production and soil ecosystem services

RECARE Policy Brief

The persistent damaging impacts of subsoil compaction call for policy intervention in order to secure yields and adapt to climate change, as well as to sustain soil ecosystem services for future generations. The authors of this RECARE Policy Brief, including Ana Frelih... Read more

Schjønning, Per et. al. 2018: Subsoil Compaction – A threat to sustainable food production and soil ecosystem services. RECARE Policy Brief. Aarhus University, Ecologic Institute: Aarhus, Berlin.

PublicationPolicy BriefRemediating Historical Soil Contamination

RECARE Policy Brief

The problem of historical contamination remains an important gap in European policymaking on soils. Political commitment is required to address the issue of historical contamination systematically by providing a common EU framework to guide and facilitate activities at... Read more

Frelih-Larsen, Ana et. al. 2018: Remediating Historical Soil Contamination: Effective Measures and Policy Solutions. RECARE Policy Brief. Ecologic Institute: Berlin.

EventConferencePreventing and Remediating Degradation of Soils in Europe – RECARE Final Policy Conference

RECARE Abschlusskonferenz

What is the best way forward for soil protection in the EU? How can we improve EU policies to secure the delivery of soil ecosystem services? These questions were the focus of the final policy conference of the RECARE project which took place on 27 September 2018 in... Read more

Conference:Preventing and Remediating Degradation of Soils in Europe – RECARE Final Policy Conference

Date: 27 September 2018
Location: Brussels, Belgium

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