On 30 June 2026, the first edition of the Mission Soil Investment Forum took place in Brussels, bringing together a diverse community of stakeholders committed to advancing soil health and sustainable land use across Europe.
The event created a unique multi-actor platform, gathering investors, start-ups, industry representatives, philanthropists, farmers, researchers, policymakers, EU projects, Living Labs, and financial institutions to explore new opportunities for investing in soil restoration and sustainable soil management.
Representatives from the Waste4Soil consortium, including partners SAVONIA and AREFLH, attended the forum both in person and online, contributing to discussions alongside key European and international actors working on soil-related innovation and financing.
The Mission Soil Investment Forum aimed to:
- Bring together policymakers, investors, researchers, and practitioners;
- Showcase Living Labs as real-world environments for innovation and investment;
- Share knowledge and best practices on sustainable soil management;
- Explore innovative financing mechanisms to support soil health restoration.
Throughout the day, participants exchanged views on how to transform Europe’s ambition for healthy soils into concrete actions and investments. Discussions highlighted the importance of blended finance approaches, public-private partnerships, improved impact measurement, stronger project pipelines, and the scaling-up of innovative solutions.
A clear message emerged from the forum: restoring soil health can only be achieved through collaboration across sectors and disciplines. Policymakers, researchers, investors, businesses, farmers, and local communities all have a vital role to play in building resilient and healthy soils for future generations.
Strengthening the Soil Health Innovation Ecosystem
The event also provided an excellent opportunity to establish new connections and strengthen existing partnerships within the European soil health community. These exchanges are expected to support future initiatives and foster greater cooperation across the soil health innovation ecosystem.
The first Mission Soil Investment Forum marked an important milestone in advancing Europe’s commitment to soil health by turning ambition into actionable investment pathways and collaborative initiatives. Organisers announced that the forum will become an annual event, providing a recurring platform to accelerate investments and partnerships for healthy soils across Europe.
Waste4Soil is pleased to have been part of this important initiative and looks forward to contributing to future discussions and actions that support the transition towards sustainable soil management and soil restoration across Europe.
