InBestSoil and BIOservicES take soil research to global stage in China

The EU-backed projects InBestSoil and BIOservicES presented new soil science findings at the 23rd World Congress of Soil Science in Nanjing, China, in June 2026. Their work focused on soil health, biodiversity, carbon storage and practical tools for better land management as Europe pushes its Soil Deal mission forward.

Why it matters: - Soil degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss are pressing risks for agriculture and ecosystems. - The two Horizon Europe projects are aimed at turning soil science into tools, methods and policy support that can help farmers, land managers and policymakers act. - Both projects feed into the EU Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe," which is designed to improve soil health across the bloc.

What happened: - InBestSoil and BIOservicES represented Europe at the 23rd World Congress of Soil Science in Nanjing, China, in June 2026. - The congress drew more than 3,000 researchers, experts and policymakers. - The event is held every four years and is one of the world’s leading gatherings focused on soil research. - The projects presented their latest findings, built international relationships and joined the global discussion on soil protection and restoration.

The details: - InBestSoil presented two scientific posters with Spanish case studies on agricultural management, soil carbon storage, microbial biodiversity and ecosystem restoration in former mining areas. - Findings on rotational grazing drew strong interest for the insights they offered on carbon retention in Mediterranean ecosystems. - InBestSoil Coordinator Andrés Rodríguez Seijo said the congress helped the project share progress, learn from similar initiatives and support harmonised methods, economic models and evidence-based policy tools. - InBestSoil said the congress helped it exceed its impact indicator of 10,000 cumulative participants attending external events. - The project also identified practices in soil monitoring, digital technologies and harmonised research methods that will feed into its final activities. - BIOservicES delivered scientific presentations on soil physico-chemical analyses, greenhouse gas emissions and soil biodiversity across European regions and land-use systems. - BIOservicES researchers presented findings from the project’s experimental site network on how biodiversity influences ecosystem functioning and soil ecosystem services. - The project’s sessions prompted discussion on regional differences in Europe, methods for measuring soil greenhouse gas emissions and biological indicators for assessing ecosystem services. - BIOservicES Coordinator Raúl Zornoza said the congress supported knowledge exchange, collaboration and the development of tools for evidence-based policymaking and sustainable land management. - InBestSoil brings together 19 partners from 10 European countries. - InBestSoil develops an economic assessment framework for ecosystem services from healthy soils and integrates it into business models and investment incentive mechanisms. - BIOservicES develops new indicators, digital tools and decision-support models to support climate-resilient land management practices. - More information on InBestSoil is available here. - More information on BIOservicES is available here.

Between the lines: - The congress gave both projects a high-profile platform, but the bigger signal is how the two efforts complement each other. - BIOservicES focuses on understanding soil biodiversity and ecosystem function. - InBestSoil focuses on turning that science into assessment methods, economic models and policy mechanisms. - That combination reflects a broader shift in soil research from observation to implementation.

What's next: - Both projects will continue analysing data over the coming months. - Both teams will develop recommendations for European policymakers. - The work is expected to support more resilient agricultural systems and advance the EU Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe". - The projects also aim to keep building international research links beyond Europe.