From Soil to Policy: SOB4ES organises third Mini Public in Spain

On May 16th, 2026, the SOB4ES project organised a deliberative citizen engagement event in Ourense, Spain to empower citizens to understand and shape policy recommendations about soil health. 28 citizens joined SOB4ES at the University of Vigo to debate the current situation of soil health, improve their knowledge on soil biodiversity and formulate recommendations for the EU on how to protect soil biodiversity and health across Europe.

María Jesús Iglesias Briones, Professor of Animal Biology, University of Vigo and SOB4ES coordinator started the debated with a keynote on “Soil biodiversity: key to the provision of ecosystem services”. Then Julia Köninger, Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Vigo, introduced the participants to the Soil Monitoring Directive with a talk titled: “Are we losing our soil and its biodiversity? Shortcomings in its protection and ways to change course”.

“The research of our project needs to be shared with society and all its members, to make a real difference” says Javier Rodeiro, one of the organisers from the University of Vigo. “This is why are also compiling citizens attitudes towards soil biodiversity and see how this can be translated into policy recommendations for the EU.”

Afterwards, the SOB4ES team took the participants outside to demonstrate how to determine the physical, chemical and biological condition of soils. Participants were taught how to identify soil profiles, determine soil texture and measure soil pH. Then they were taken on a Soil Safari, looking for and identifying macrofauna like earthworms and nematodes. After lunch, participants formed working groups and deliberated on formulating recommendations for the EU.

After the event, participants said that they felt more informed about soil composition and characteristics, and that their opinion of the importance of soil heath had changed considerably. They also said that they benefited the most from the hand on practicals and debate with other participants and felt more prepared to make decisions to improve soil health in their personal and professional lives.

The results of the discussions will be further evaluated and used to inform future policies. Watch the full video here.