PREPSOIL

PREPSOIL will adopt a proactive approach to engaging with a wide range of stakeholders. The aim is to create places for collaboration and knowledge development that can be developed over a long period of time. In addition, PREPSOIL will provide an enhanced knowledge base and level of awareness of soil health among a broad group of stakeholders. PREPSOIL's web portal is intended as the European "one-stop-shop" where all information, resources and digital tools to engage different groups will be gathered.

RådNu is involved in WP6. This work package is called To promote education, awareness and commitment to soil health in various interest groups in society. In WP6 there are two three sub-projects, of which RådNu is responsible for two, 6.2 and 6.3.

6.2: Knowledge of soil and good examples of soil education for young people

6.2 is about:

1. to find and reward good examples of land teaching
2. produce webinars on agricultural, forest and urban land with the target group of primary and secondary school teachers. This will take place in collaboration with national educational actors.

6.3 Improve vocational, professional and lifelong learning in soil conservation

6.3 has three purposes:

1. To assess the awareness and understanding of soil health among actors who work as advisors/consultants in agriculture and forestry as well as actors with the power to influence urban land management at municipal/regional level.
2. To explore the land knowledge of these people and how they develop their skills.
3. To explore how the concept of soil health is manifested in practice in their professional work. Initially, a web-based survey will be conducted, which is directed at the actors. The aim is to assess awareness and understanding of the soil health concept and how these actors implement this in their respective professional roles. Nextly, six regional case studies will identify key public/private advisory initiatives as well as grassroots initiatives. Representatives from these will be engaged in focus group interviews to explore strengths, weaknesses and possible improvements in how they can learn and develop collaboratively when it comes to soil health issues. It also includes how a potential use of virtual platforms (such as the web portal) as part of these actors' knowledge and innovation systems.

The results of the case studies will form the basis of a joint trans-European analysis led by SLU, which deals with methods for collaboration and learning about soil health and proposals for how this can be scaled up through further exchange and collaboration with both traditional and virtual methods.