Soil health experts gather online for second transnational LOESS Education Innovation Group meeting

LOESS EIG meeting, 31st October— Members of the Education Innovation Group (EIG) of the LOESS project and LOESS partners gathered online for the second transnational meeting, bringing together soil experts and educators from 15 European countries. The meeting, held from 3 to 5 pm, provided a forum for project partners to discuss the first-year outcomes of LOESS, an initiative aimed at advancing soil health education across Europe. 

More than 40 people gathered during the online meeting. Own authorship.

During the two-hour session, the project team shared insights from their comprehensive study on integrating soil health education into curricula at both regional and European levels. Participants reviewed key findings and discussed recommendations to make soil health a core component of educational frameworks.  

Although the study is still under review by the European Union, the group emphasized that its conclusions, based on a range of methods including documentary research, focus groups, and in-depth interviews, reflect the shared challenges and opportunities identified by soil education experts. Given that the report represents the views of the contributors rather than all stakeholders, participants acknowledged that its findings should be generalized with a degree of caution. 

Following the review of the report, the group discussed plans to implement its recommendations, focusing on increasing awareness among educators and broadening the reach of an online survey designed to assess teachers’ needs in teaching soil health topics. 

The meeting also served as an opportunity to showcase new resources developed by the LOESS team, including the case studies and a glossary specifically tailored to the needs of soil health education. The glossary, available on the LOESS website, will continue to be updated with project advancements. 

With ongoing collaboration across multiple countries, the LOESS project is positioned to support a shift toward stronger soil health education across Europe, fostering greater environmental awareness among future generations. 

For more information:

• Read the Deliverable with all the first year outcomes: 
  2.2. Report on awareness, needs and vision for soil education 
  (Executive Summary pages 6-9) 
  *This report is currently under review by the European Commission, pending approval. 
• Check the case studies
• Read the glossary 
• Share the survey