#healthysoil – The first joint meeting of the Mission Board for Soil Health and Food and the Mission Assembly

The state of works on the preparation of the Roadmap for the area of ​​health, soil and food was the subject of the first joint meeting of the Mission Board for Soil Health and Food and the team of experts of the Mission Assembly, which took place on April 29 this year. One of the members of the Mission Board is Dr. Marta Pogrzeba, Prof. of IETU.

European research and innovation missions aim to solve the major challenges facing the world today. They are an integral part of the Horizon Europe Programme (https://ec.europa.eu/info/horizon-europe-next-research-and-innovation-framework-programme_en) and have been selected for the first four years of its implementation.

The objectives which are to be defined by the European research and innovation mission in the area of ​​health, soil and food will be implemented under various actions financed from different parts of the Framework Programme.

At a joint remote meeting that took place on April 29, the Mission Board for Soil Health and Food presented the current state of works on the preparation of specific mission topics and objectives to the experts from the so-called Mission Assembly, that provide substantive support to the Mission Board’s activities, offering additional knowledge and expertise.

Members of the Mission Board for Soil Health and Food

Members of the Mission Assembly for Soil Health and Food

Objectives and the expected outcomes of the Mission will be achieved and implemented by a portfolio of projects - says Dr. Marta Pogrzeba, Prof. of IETU - The project portfolio will be created within the Mission areas and the European Commission and Boards will work together to monitor and evaluate the implementation of each Mission. At present, it is very important to inform and establish cooperation with various stakeholders to raise awareness of the role and importance of healthy soil. Good soil quality is fundamental to food production on a regional and global scale as well as to the sustainability of ecosystems and the protection of biodiversity.

Each Mission Board will produce a draft report proposing precisely defined targets by the end of May 2020. The final recommendations of the Mission Boards will be handed over to the European Commission during the European Research and Innovation Days, 22-24 September 2020.

The process of identifying the Mission targets is crucial because they are to be included in the first Strategic Plan for 2021-2024, and then in the so-called Work Programmes. This ambitious process is to be completed by the end of 2020 to enable launching the Horizon Europe Programme on January 1, 2021. Missions will be implemented under the Horizon Europe - Pillar II (Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness).