Europe’s most precious resource: How can we kick start the transition in soil management?
Europe’s most precious resource: How can we kick start the transition in soil management?
This webinar will take the format of a conversation; bringing together experts who are already working on shifting how we manage our soils in Europe for the better. The webinar will move away from the traditional format of presentations, and engage the speakers in a discussion to converge their ideas and experiences of how this transition will come about.
Soil is at the very heart of so many of the challenges we face today, and so many of the solutions. It has a crucial role to play in climate mitigation, climate resilience, future food security, water and nutrient management, and biodiversity, to name but a few. This is not news, the importance of addressing the deterioration of our soils has long been understood, and has been targeted in a range of policy initiatives. However, the state of EU soils continues to worsen. And whilst there are still large gaps in our understanding of certain aspects of soil, a well established body of evidence is showing how farm practises can be adapted to turn around soil health and reduce soil loss.
This workshop will kick off the RISE project on soil, which will run over the next 18 months. It will take an active, practical approach to discussing how we can take what we know on soil management and incentivising a change in farming practices, to provoke a new and positive phase in farming, and a collective food chain responsibility, so that in 10 years time, we will be having a very different conversation on soil.
Confirmed speakers (in alphabetical order)
Allan Buckwell
Director for the Nutrient Recovery and Reuse Project, RISE Foundation
Allan Buckwell
Director for the Nutrient Recovery and Reuse Project, RISE Foundation
Claire Chenu
Research Director, INRAE
Claire Chenu
Research Director, INRAE
Mellany Klompe
Director of the Soil Heroes Foundation
Mellany Klompe
Director of the Soil Heroes Foundation
Janez Potočnik
Chair ForumforAg and Chairman RISE Foundation
Janez Potočnik
Chair ForumforAg and Chairman RISE Foundation
Kerstin Rosenow
Head of Unit ‘Research & Innovation’, DG AGRI, European Commission
Kerstin Rosenow
Head of Unit ‘Research & Innovation’, DG AGRI, European Commission
Kerstin Rosenow is Head of Unit ‘Research & Innovation’ in DG AGRI, European Commission where she is responsible for the EU research and innovation policy in the intervention area of "agriculture, forestry and rural areas". Her unit programmes and monitors the research funded under Cluster 6 "Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment" of Horizon Europe R&I Programme. Her unit also provides the secretariat for the Horizon Europe R&I Mission” A Soil Deal for Europe”. Previously, she was Head of Unit in the EC Research Executive Agency (REA) where she managed the implementation of the project portfolio for Horizon 2020 Societal Challenge 2 (food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime, and inland water research and the bioeconomy). She has been working in the EC for over 20 years after covering a managerial position in the German administration (Representation of the State of Hessen to the EU). For DG AGRI she coordinated negotiations with pre-accession and candidate countries and the preparation of the 2014-2020 CAP legislative framework. She studied law, politics and administration in Marburg, Grenoble and Bruges.
Harry Smit
Senior Analyst, Farm Inputs and Farming at RaboResearch food and Agribusiness, Rabobank
Harry Smit
Senior Analyst, Farm Inputs and Farming at RaboResearch food and Agribusiness, Rabobank
Agenda
Mar 11, 2021
Thursday, March 11, 2021 - 10:30 - 12:00 CET
- Opening address – Janez Potočnik
- Introduction to the subject – Allan Buckwell
- A conversation with the speakers, moderated by Allan Buckwell
- Q&A
- Summary – Allan Buckwell
- Closing address – Janez Potočnik
In collaboration with
