LOESS High-level Symposium: Shaping Soil Health Education for 2030 and Beyond
On 7 & 8 May 2026, SoilTribes participated in the LOESS High-level Symposium: Shaping Soil Health Education for 2030 and Beyond in Barcelona, Spain, contributing to a European dialogue on the future of soil health education, soil literacy, and public outreach.
Organized by the LOESS project, the symposium brought together 50 participants, including researchers, educators, NGOs, and teachers working to make soil knowledge more accessible, practical, and connected to society. SoilTribes was represented by one of its Consortium partners, Wageningen University and Research, through a presentation and participation in a panel discussion.
At the LOESS High-level Symposium, SoilTribes shared this perspective with a targeted audience of stakeholders involved in soil education and outreach. The participation supported the project’s wider mission to increase soil literacy and strengthen collaboration across the European soil ecosystem.
As part of the symposium, Wageningen University and Research presented a SoilTribes poster highlighting the project’s contribution to soil education and outreach. The poster offered participants an opportunity to learn more about SoilTribes’ approach to making soil knowledge accessible, engaging, and actionable.
SoilTribes also contributed to a panel discussion focused on the strengths and limitations of EU projects in advancing soil education and outreach. The discussion addressed an important question: how can European initiatives better support public understanding of soil challenges?
EU-funded projects can play a key role in creating resources, testing methodologies, connecting stakeholders, and supporting new educational approaches. At the same time, they must work across different contexts, audiences, and levels of knowledge. This requires clear communication, long-term collaboration, and practical tools that can be used beyond the project itself.
The symposium created an opportunity for cross-project networking with European initiatives working on soil health education, public engagement, and outreach.
For SoilTribes, this type of exchange is essential. The project is built around collaboration, knowledge sharing, and cross-fertilization between different actors. By engaging with other European projects, SoilTribes can identify shared challenges, exchange practices, and explore possible synergies that strengthen the wider soil education ecosystem.
