Since 2008, the Land and Soil Management Award has recognized and rewarded outstanding projects in the areas of land use and soil management practices mitigating soil threats such as soil degradation, erosion, reduction of organic matter content, diffuse contamination, compaction, and the reduction of soil biodiversity and salinization, sealing, flooding and landslides. By showcasing winning projects as good practices at European level, the award also sheds light on outstanding achievements and promotes effective and sustainable land and soil management practices. Aiming to encourage new concepts of land and soil protection and their implementation in land management and enhance awareness of the importance of land and soil functions.

This year’s award ceremony, chaired by prof Martin Gerzabek, President of the Jury, was held in person in Brussels on March 28, during the gala dinner of the Forum for the Future of Agriculture.

Humberto Delgado Rosa, Director for Biodiversity, DG Environment, European Commission, awarded the winning prize to “Improving Soil Health through experimental regenerative agriculture practices in the Netherlands”, a project submitted by Mellany and Jeroen Klompe, owners of the Klompe Landbouw, Mijnsheerenland (the Netherlands) and by The Soil Heroes Foundation, represented by Annabelle Williams. Its main aim is to make a strong business case based on improving soil whilst simultaneously improving biodiversity, water quality, air quality, reducing emissions and sequestering carbon. And – on the long run to continue to test and innovate new regenerative practices and regenerative income streams for the Klompe Farm and share the results of the trials openly with land managers to encourage and catalyse the transition for more farmers to improve soil health.

The jury rewarded also two additional proposals with a diploma of recognition to:

• The Blaston regenerative farm (UK) for improving soil health and weed control, diversifying cropping and farming with nature, creating a sustainable business and reducing the carbon footprint of the farm whilst producing healthy, nutritious food.
• INNOLIVAR submitted by the Interprofessional Spanish Olive Oil Organization for proposed actions to control erosion and restore gullies in olive groves. The project’s objectives are: to develop a simple and reliable mapping method of the gully network and its catchment, and a hydrological model for the analysis of the landscape evolution, for a proper selection and dimension of the control and preventive practices.

By showcasing winning projects as good practices at European level, the Award also sheds light on outstanding achievements and promotes effective and sustainable land and soil management practices. Aiming to encourage new concepts of land and soil protection and their implementation in land management and enhance awareness of the importance of land and soil functions.

More information can be found at www.europeanlandowners.org/awards/soil-land-award

The award is supported by the European Landowners’ Organization, the European Commission DG ENVI, JRC, Syngenta, the University of Ljubljana and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. As part of its ongoing activities to promote sustainable agriculture, the Forum for the Future of Agriculture is proud to support the award and recognise the winners at the main Forum in March and also at our regional conferences.