This webpage brings together all training materials developed under Task 5.4 of the PREPSOIL project.
This section compiles all the training materials developed and performed under the PREPSOIL task on Capacity building for improved monitoring knowledge base (T5.4). This activity aims to strengthen technical and institutional capacities for improved soil health monitoring across Europe. The training programe was designed through a participatory approach and tested through pilot Knowledge Sharing Sessions (workshops), offering practical knowledge adaptable to different national and territorial contexts.
The content combines scientific foundations, digital tools, and real-world case studies, with a strong focus on soil health indicators, sampling methods, data interpretation, and their application in public management and policymaking. The initiative seeks to create a lasting, reusable legacy for technicians, public authorities, researchers, and other stakeholders involved in soil health improvement.
This page provides access to all the materials related to the four pilot Knowledge Sharing Sessions (workshops) held on 13 and 20 June 2025:
- Section 1: The presentation files supporting the lectures.
- Section 2: The video recordings of the lectures performed in the online sessions.
- Section 3: An additional document with further and extended proposals on training needs and thematic priorities for future training programes.
All materials are openly accessible to facilitate their reuse by institutions interested in replicating or adapting the training in their own contexts.
Section 1: The presentation files supporting the lectures
This section includes the presentations that supported the training sessions held in June 2025. They cover key concepts related to soil health and monitoring, the indicators defined under the EU Soil Mission, and the European regulatory framework. The materials are organised into four thematic blocks and can serve as reference material or as a basis for new training initiatives.
Presentations 13 June 2025 Presentations 20 June 2025
Section 2: The video recordings of the lectures performed in the online sessions
This section contains individual recordings of the expert lectures delivered during the training sessions in June 2025. Each video focuses on a specific topic related to soil health and monitoring, offering direct and structured access to key content. The recordings have been edited to facilitate their use in training or institutional contexts.
Session 1.1 – Innovating Soil Monitoring: From Indicators to Policy Impact (13 June 2025)
Lecture 1: Key Indicators and Their Complexity – Agnieszka Klimkowicz-Pawlas & Grzegorz Siebielec
Agnieszka Klimkowicz-Pawlas is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Soil Science and Plant
Cultivation in Puławy, Poland. Her main research interests include soil quality and health, soil threats, ecotoxicology, and ecological risk assessment. She has participated in several national and EU projects, including Soils4EU, EJP SOIL SERENA, and PREPSOIL. She is a member of the International Union of Soil Sciences, the Polish Soil Science Society, as well as the INSOP and NETSOB networks.
Grzegorz Siebielec is a Senior Research Scientist and Head of the Soil Science, Erosion and Land Protection Department. He received a PhD in Agronomy in 2001. His main research interests include soil contamination and remediation, land use change, soil quality, soil sealing, and waste management. He has participated in 15 international projects, including FP5, FP6, FP7, Horizon 2020, and Horizon Europe, and has coordinated national soil quality monitoring efforts. He currently serves as a national representative on soil issues for EIONET, the Common Forum on Contaminated Land, and the Global Soil Partnership. He has authored over 110 scientific publications, including journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings.
Lecture 2: Monitoring Soil Health in the Future EU Soil Directive – Claire Chenu
Claire Chenu is a Research Director at INRAE (French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment) and a Professor at AgroParisTech in France. Her research focuses on soil organic carbon: its dynamics, stabilization processes, and the effects of cropping practices on soil carbon stocks. She is actively engaged at the science-policy-practice interface and in raising public awareness about soils, notably serving as FAO’s Special Ambassador for Soils in 2015. She is also a member of the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils under the Global Soil Partnership (GSP). Claire Chenu coordinates the EU H2020 European Joint Programme SOIL, involving 24 European countries in the pursuit of climate-smart and sustainable agricultural soil management.
Session 1.2 – Innovating Soil Monitoring: From Indicators to Policy Impact (13 June 2025)
Lecture 3: Soil Monitoring Indicators and the SQI – Adolfo Perdomo
Adolfo Perdomo González is a PhD candidate in the Biodiversity and Conservation program at the University of La Laguna (ULL). His research focuses on assessing soil health in drylands threatened by desertification, as a tool for ecological restoration. He holds a BSc in Biology from ULL and an MSc in Agroecology, Rural Development, and Agrotourism from UMH. He also has a strong entrepreneurial interest in the ecosystem restoration sector.
Lecture 4: Monitoring Agroecological Transition – José Manuel Ávila
José Manuel Ávila Castuera is an environmental scientist specializing in biodiversity and conservation biology, with a PhD in Environment and Society. He has over 15 years of experience in research and development across research centers, academia, and industry. Early in his career, he focused on the impact of invasive species and climate change on agroforestry systems. Later, he assumed roles as coordinator and manager of EU R&D projects applying ICT solutions to tackle complex societal and environmental challenges. He currently serves as Senior Scientific Manager and Agroecology Coordinator at LifeWatch ERIC, where he leads R&D initiatives to support the transition toward sustainable agriculture across Europe.
Session 2.1 – Digital Tools for Soil Health Monitoring (20 June 2025)
Lecture 1. Evaluation of the Impact of CAP Measures on Soil Organic Carbon in Spain - José Luis Gabriel
José Luis Gabriel holds a PhD in Agricultural Engineering from the Technical University of Madrid and has been a Senior Scientist at INIA since 2017, with previous experience in the USA and Belgium. His research focuses on sustainable agricultural systems, optimizing the cycles of water, carbon, and nitrogen. He has led or participated in numerous national and European projects, as well as collaborations with agri-industry companies. He has authored 48 scientific publications (H-index of 22), one edited book, numerous book chapters, and many conference presentations.
Lecture 2. Possible contribution of remote sensing to soil monitoring - Pierre Renault
Pierre Renault is a soil scientist, Research Director and Deputy Scientific Director for Environment at INRAE. His work focuses on the interactions between transport processes, microbial transformations, and abiotic geochemistry in soils under variable aeration conditions. Within the PREPSOIL CSA, he leads the work package on “Monitoring Frameworks and Soil Indicators” and is responsible for the task on “Earth Observation Techniques for Soil Health Monitoring.
Session 2.1. - Digital Tools for Soil Health Monitoring
Lecture 3. Decision-Support Tools for Soil Organic Carbon Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification: The MRV4SOC approach - Bertrand Guenet and Marta Gómez-Giménez
Bertrand Guenet is a biogeochemist working as a Research Director at CNRS and an affiliated professor at ENS. His main research focuses on improving soil carbon models, including soil schemes embedded in climate models.
Marta Gómez-Giménez coordinates the Horizon Europe MRV4SOC project. She specializes in land monitoring using satellite optical sensors and works as a Project Manager at GMV.
Lecture 4. Soil monitoring strategies supporting the implementation of carbon farming practices for improving soil health in the Mediterranean and Southern Europe - Mercedes ROMÁN
Mercedes Román is a soil scientist and researcher at NEIKER (Basque Country, Spain), working on the LILAS4SOILS project. Her research focuses on two main areas: (1) soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and stabilization in wildlands and agroecosystems, and (2) digital soil mapping (DSM) as a tool for sustainable management and soil security.
Section 3: An additional document with further and extended proposals on training needs and thematic priorities for future training programes
This section presents a set of documents resulting from a co-creation process with public authorities across Europe, aimed at identifying training needs for the implementation of the Soil Monitoring Directive. Through this collaborative work, thematic priorities, technical content proposals, and methodological recommendations have been outlined for the design of context-adapted training programmes. These documents serve as a strategic foundation for future capacity-building actions within the framework of the Soil Mission.