On 13 December 2025, the launch event and the first meeting of the national Working Group of the European SOILRES project will take place at La Petrosa Farm in Ceraso (SA).
Six pilot sites across Europe share a single goal: improving soil health and crop resilience. How? By fostering interactions between soil, plants, and microbiota, promoting not only more sustainable farming practices but also the use of advanced digital tools to ensure long-term effectiveness. This is the mission of SOILRES – Multi-Faceted Biodiversity Integration for a Healthy Soil and Resilient Crop Management, an initiative that brings together researchers, farmers, and innovators to test biodiversity-based solutions in the field.
The Italian pilot site will be officially presented on 13 December 2025 at La Petrosa Farm in Ceraso (SA), which will host the launch event and the first meeting of the national Working Group dedicated to the project.
According to the latest FAO report on food and agriculture (The State of Food and Agriculture 2025), soil degradation has a significant economic impact on agriculture, reducing yields by up to 10%. The report highlights how the loss of soil fertility and ecological function represents an increasing threat to agricultural productivity, food security, and ecosystem resilience.
Yet the report also delivers a message of hope: reversing degradation through sustainable soil management practices can reduce yield gaps and improve the livelihoods of millions of farmers. It is precisely in this spirit of pragmatic optimism that the SOILRES project operates.
An Italian Laboratory for Soil Health
Funded by the Horizon Europe program and coordinated by Aarhus University (Denmark), SOILRES involves an international consortium of 21 partners from 11 countries, including universities, research institutions, farms, businesses, and NGOs committed to soil regeneration and building more climate-resilient European agriculture.
In Italy, the project involves La Petrosa Farm, the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa, and the University of Naples Federico II, which, together with Deafal, have developed the experimental trials, alongside companies MOM – Moretto Officine Meccaniche, L.G. Italia, and Re-Cord.
The project aims to evaluate the effects of various agroecological practices—such as microbial biostimulants, organic amendments, biochar, and strip tillage—on soil biodiversity and fertility. The goal is to develop sustainable farming practices and advanced digital tools that ensure long-term agricultural sustainability across different pedoclimatic contexts.
The SOILRES National Working Group
The 13 December meeting will be the occasion to present the trials in the field through a farm visit and officially launch the SOILRES National Working Group (WG). This collaborative platform, promoted by Deafal, is open to institutions, research organizations, agricultural bodies, and stakeholders interested in the agroecological transition.
Participation in the WG will provide opportunities to:
- Monitor experimental trials at the national level;
- Contribute to scaling up agroecological practices through local analysis and surveys;
- Join a national network of shared expertise and knowledge;
- Collaborate in thematic clusters to develop policy briefs and advocacy tools supporting agricultural and environmental policies.
Towards a Regenerative European Agriculture
The launch event marks a moment of exchange between research, businesses, and institutions, promoting the dissemination of innovative practices for soil protection and regeneration. SOILRES aligns with key European sustainability strategies, including the Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy, and the EU Soil Mission – A Soil Deal for Europe, contributing to pesticide reduction, the expansion of organic farming, and sustainable management of natural resources.