SUS-SOIL: Revitalizing Subsoil Health for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Resilience in the EU

About 60–70% of European Union soils are categorised as unhealthy mostly due to the erosion of the topsoil layer and subsurface depletion, meaning soil degradation being a significant danger to global sustainability. Even though it is acknowledged its ecological importance, subsoil is still understudied, which difficulties addressing its problematics. With a multidisciplinary approach, the SUS-SOIL aims at closing this gap by improving subsoil health, ecosystem services, and agroecological transitions across various land-use settings. A set of 15 Subsoil Living Labs (LLs) are being developed over eight European biogeographic areas in order to co-create and benchmark agroecological subsoil management practices (ASM). The LLs will be based in several stakeholders’ categories using a participatory method to examine ASM effects on subsurface dynamics. Modern techniques include digital tools and sophisticated soil monitoring systems to support achieving project objectives. For promoting sustainable land management, key developments include interoperable soil databases, a Subsoil Decision Support Tool (S-DST), and region-specific ASM farm idiotype based on key developments. SUS-SOIL seeks to raise awareness among stakeholders of subsoil issues, assist in policy creation for ASM techniques, and offer practical advice to improve water security and minimise climate effects. These results will improve soil management, therefore benefiting urban and rural ecosystems.