LivingSoiLL Consortium Gathers in Alba, Italy to Advance Soil Restoration Goals

Earlier this month, the LivingSoiLL Consortium came together in Alba, Italy, for its second in-person meeting since the project began. Hosted by the Università degli Studi di Torino (UNITO) from 9 to 11 July 2025, the meeting provided a valuable opportunity for partners to reflect on progress, align priorities, and reinforce collaboration across all Work Packages and Living Labs.

The three-day event began with a welcome session and a series of presentations dedicated to Project Coordination and Living Labs Establishment and Governance. The first day focused on project management, financial oversight, and the overall Living Labs Establishment and Governance. These initial sessions helped ensure that the consortium is aligned in terms of quality management, ethics, and the sustainability of Living Lab operations.

In the afternoon, updates on the monitoring frameworks, baseline assessments, and the regional implementation strategies of the Living Labs were presented. The day concluded with a General Assembly session.

The second day was dedicated entirely to the Living Labs. Each of the five Labs presented their progress, challenges, and future plans: the Luso-Galician Lab (LL1), the Andalusian Lab (LL2), the Piemonte Lab in North-Western Italy (LL3), the Loire Valley & Beaujolais Lab (LL4), and the Grójec Lab in Poland (LL5). These sessions demonstrated the rich diversity of contexts in which soil restoration is being pursued, while also highlighting common goals and shared methodologies. After the presentations, each Living Lab had time to work internally on next steps before all participants headed to the field. In the afternoon, the consortium visited two experimental sites in the Piemonte region, where regenerative practices in vineyards and hazelnut orchards are being implemented and monitored.

The final day looked ahead to how the project’s outcomes will be scaled up and shared with wider audiences. Sessions focused on developing sustainable business models, exploitation strategies, and stakeholder engagement. A roundtable discussion brought together all Living Lab leaders to explore common challenges and opportunities for collaboration, particularly in relation to governance and implementation. The meeting concluded with reflections on future plans and next steps, marking the end of an inspiring and productive gathering.

The LivingSoiLL Consortium Meeting in Alba reinforced the strong spirit of cooperation across the project and highlighted the real-world progress being made toward soil regeneration in different European regions. As LivingSoiLL moves forward, the commitment of all partners remains clear: to restore, protect, and sustain healthy soils through innovative science, collaborative action, and long-term engagement.