To support the restoration of European soils, BENCHMARKS is developing a nuanced monitoring framework tailored to the unique soil landscapes across Europe. In the first stages of the project, BENCHMARKS organised numerous stakeholder workshops to identify challenges and promising practices to improve soil health and how to monitor progress.

The first workshop in Spain was organised November 3rd 2023 at La Junquera farm, where one of our agricultural case studies is being conducted, and it is also located nearby the forest case study of La Rogativa.

The workshop ‘Healthy Soils for Agricultural and Forestry Resilience in Southeast Spain’ was a combined workshop for the agricultural case study of La Junquera and the forest case study of La Rogativa. The workshop was attended by over 50 stakeholders, including farmers, policymakers, researchers, private sector representatives, and members of civil society organisations and cooperatives.

During the workshop we discussed challenges and opportunities for improving soil health and the functions provided by soils in agriculture and forests in semiarid Mediterranean areas. Moreover, the workshop proved very successful to exchange experiences and foster an alliance between stakeholders. This workshop was developed and implemented by the Regeneration Academy and the CEBAS-CSIC, using the facilities of La Junquera, and in close collaboration with Climate Farmers and Commonland. The following video summarises some of the workshop outcomes.