LILAS4SOILS | Insights from the Launch of the Living Labs

Between February and April 2025, the five Soil Health Living Labs under the LILAS4SOILS project officially opened the doors. The main goal of the launch events was to introduce the LILAS4SOILS project, its overarching goals, and the EU Soil Mission to the stakeholder ecosystem of each Living Lab.

Each event included a co-design workshop focused on jointly defining the Living Labs’ mission, vision, and objectives; identifying local soil and agricultural challenges; and validating the proposed Carbon Farming Practices (CFPs). Events were designed to foster multi-actor collaboration and promote co-creation through tools such as stakeholder mapping, vision-setting workshops, SWOT analyses, and real-time feedback mechanisms.

Altogether, the launch events engaged 471 participants representing a wide array of stakeholders across the Quintuple Helix Innovation model:

• Academia (15%).
• Farmers (30%).
• Industry (25%).
• Civil society (13%).
• Public authorities (12%).
• Environmental organizations (5%).

During the events, it emerged clearly that farmers join Living Labs to gain actionable knowledge on CFPs that can be implemented on their farms to improve soil quality and productivity and practical feedback on implemented practices, helping them understand what works and what doesn’t.

They emphasized the need for a practical guidebook - a resource compiling best practices, case studies, and guidelines to support the implementation of sustainable techniques across diverse farming systems and agricultural landscapes. Farmers are also looking for the opportunity to quantify the impact of CFPs on carbon sequestration and carbon storage capacity of different soil types, as well as the economic benefits of such practices including access to carbon credit markets and other funding opportunities.

Monitoring, Reporting and Verifying (MRV) providers brought attention to the technical backbone of carbon farming, highlighting the importance of robust data collection protocols and the need for digital platforms capable of securely storing, processing, and managing data to support credible monitoring and reporting systems.

Certification bodies underscored the necessity for science-based methodologies and transparent, validated data to ensure credibility in certification processes. Their priorities include building a trusted framework that produces measurable and verifiable outcomes, that meet both regulatory standards and market expectations. LILAS4SOILS’s initial contribution to fulfil these needs is the soil monitoring protocol (D4.1) and later this year they will recruit 15 MRV companies to test their technologies in LILAS4SOILS farm’s network.

In general, stakeholders defined success of LILAS4SOILS and the Living Labs as a combination of practical impact, economic viability, widespread adoption, data-driven evidence, and strong collaboration.

They view success in terms of implementing carbon-sequestering practices that improve soil health and biodiversity, leading to long-term sustainability and increased resilience of agricultural systems. Economic benefits for farmers are crucial, ensuring that carbon credits make sustainable practices financially viable without compromising productivity. Success is also seen in the dissemination of results to a broad base of farmers through the dissemination workshops, increasing participation across various agricultural sectors.

Moreover, stakeholders value evidence-based recommendations that can influence policy and farming practices, supported by quantifiable results on soil health, yield, and economic returns.

A successful initiative is defined not only by its outcomes, but also by its ability to cultivate a robust ecosystem of experts, practitioners, and partners. By fostering collaboration across disciplines and sectors, such networks become essential drivers of innovation and continuous learning. In its first year, LILAS4SOILS is establishing the foundations of a dynamic, cross-sectoral community—designed to accelerate knowledge exchange, strengthen stakeholder ownership, and drive long-term impact in soil health and carbon farming.