The EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) Stakeholders Forum is the main event to discuss the future of soil health in Europe. The 5th edition, launched online in June 2025 and continuing in-person in September, asks a timely question: How can healthy soils boost EU competitiveness? It showcases business models from carbon farming to soil testing, highlighting how innovation in soil management supports sustainability and resilience.
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Safer Phosphates Foundation particularly appreciated the presentation made by Dr. Arjan Reijneveld from Eurofins Agro, who outlined a scalable approach to soil health testing. Dr. Reijneveld emphasized the importance of delivering a consistent and actionable soil health test across regions.
The core of Eurofins’ method is a combination of calcium chloride extraction with near-infrared (NIR) technology, which together generate over 50 soil health indicators. These feed into tools such as the Soil Carbon Check, aligned with the "4x1000" initiative and the Soil Life Monitor, which tracks biodiversity. A standardised Soil Health Indicator Report offers results on nutrients, contaminants and sequestration potential. These reports provide both crop-specific and long-term recommendations, optionally including a soil health score based on EU thresholds.
Dr. Reijneveld stressed the need for collaboration between land users, advisors and researchers: successful implementation depends on this, often supported by national policies. During the Q&A, he also highlighted that remote sensing can improve sampling strategies and noted that Eurofins’ service includes standardised sampling protocols.
Beyond Dr. Reijneveld’s insights, the forum brought together voices from academia, finance, agri-tech and industry to explore diverse pathways toward a more sustainable agri-food system. Presentations addressed carbon farming, soil biodiversity, root health, biodegradable inputs and nature-based solutions, reflecting the innovations that are currently shaping soil health. In these context, soil test results are increasingly used to demonstrate environmental responsibility and support claims of sustainable sourcing.
The next EUSO Stakeholders Forum session will take place in Seville (Spain) on 9 September 2025, and a call for abstracts has been launched to invite contributions from all sectors involved in soil health. The event aims to build on the discussions and collaborations initiated in June, encouraging wide participation to co-create practical pathways for soil stewardship across Europe.
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