AREFLH is a partner on the  WASTE4SOIL project “Turning food waste into sustainable soil improvers for better soil health and improved food system”. It aims at developing applicable recycling technical pathways to transform Food Processing Residues (FPR) into improvers, through a circular, system, and multi-actor approach. All food chain actors are involved at the regional level, thereby closing specific loops (nutrients, organic matter, water).

 

On 24th April 2026, the project teamed up with DeliSoil EU programme and organised an inspiring internal online workshop focused on business models for soil health innovation. It focused on how solutions developed within Living Labs can successfully move beyond experimentation and achieve real-world uptake, becoming:

• accepted by stakeholders,
• economically viable and investable,
• complementary to existing systems,
• scalable across regions.

Key discussions

Participants exchanged views on three main themes:

•  Investment and business viability, including pathways to ensure long-term financial sustainability of soil health solutions,
•  Social acceptance and stakeholder trust highlighting the importance of engagement and legitimacy,
• Policy recommendations, addressing regulatory frameworks and enabling conditions for upscaling innovation.

Main takeaway

A shared conclusion emerged from the discussion: soil health innovation can only succeed when science, business, and policy move forward together in a coordinated way.

This workshop reinforced the importance of cross-sector collaboration to support the transition from Living Lab results to practical, scalable solutions that contribute to healthier soils across Europe.

 

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This project receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement Nr. 101112708.