InBestSoil: a pioneering approach to integrating soil health into business models

Europe's soil is being irretrievably lost and degraded, mainly due to natural factors such as climate change and human activities such as agriculture. The loss of soil quality is currently estimated to cost EUR 50 billion per year. However, soil health is still seen as an abstract concept that cannot be quantified and is very difficult to introduce in business and finance. InBestSoil is an innovative project funded by the European Union through the Horizon Europe programme that revolutionises the perception of soil health by developing an economic valuation system integrated into business models.

The project involves twenty partners from ten European countries and aims to create a stable methodology for measuring the ecosystem services provided by healthy soil, as well as the impacts received. This will enable public and private organisations to give economic value to their actions on soil health, to design strategies with their local partners and to work collectively to comply with national and European soil legislation.

InBestSoil aims to provide data, evidence, tools and models to assess how investment in soil health can contribute towards long-term resilient and sustainable soil use. The broad participation of companies, NGOs, universities, public administrations and agricultural organisations will facilitate the amplification of results and their internationalisation, contributing to investment in soil health across Europe. Fundación Global Nature's Dehesa "El Baldío" is one of the sites where pilot field experiences are being carried out.