Key facts
- 60-70% of soils in the European Union are in an unhealthy state.
- Degraded soils cost European citizens over €50 billion annually.
- The EU adopted its first Soil Monitoring Law in 2025, with a goal of healthy soils by 2050.
- The AI4SoilHealth project is developing an AI-powered system to monitor soil health indicators.
- The Soil Health Data Cube integrates vast datasets from satellite imagery and in-situ soil samples.
Europe is losing over €50 billion annually due to degraded soils, with an estimated 60-70% of soils across the European Union in an unhealthy state. These soils are affected by issues such as erosion, contamination, compaction, acidification, loss of organic matter, and declining biodiversity. Recognizing the urgency, the EU adopted its first Soil Monitoring Law in 2025, aiming for all soils to be healthy and resilient by 2050.
The challenge of monitoring millions of hectares of land is being addressed by initiatives like the AI4SoilHealth project. This project is building a machine-learning powered system to monitor soil health indicators across the continent by integrating vast datasets from satellite imagery, such as the Copernicus Sentinel programme, and in-situ soil samples. The Soil Health Data Cube, a key component, combines soil, vegetation, land-use, climate, and terrain data at a fine spatial resolution, containing tens of terabytes of data spanning over two decades.
This AI-driven approach aims to provide openly accessible, value-added information, reframing soil as vital living infrastructure. Farmers, cooperatives, and municipalities could gain insights into soil conditions, tracking indicators like soil carbon and pH levels, and simulating responses to future changes. This democratisation of knowledge is intended to foster widespread soil literacy, enabling informed decisions for crop rotation, carbon restoration, and biodiversity. The technology could shift policymaking from reactive to predictive stewardship, guiding proactive restoration and strengthening regional food systems by improving planning for crop diversity and water use, thereby reducing vulnerability to global supply shocks.