Rainer Baritz, President of the European Soil Partnership and Head of the Soil Project at the European Environment Agency (testimonial from the dossier “Info&Sols, a partnership-based system for soil knowledge and monitoring in France” – 2024)
“I trained as a soil scientist and was responsible for the national soil information system in Germany, which is similar to the GIS Sol programmes in France. I now work for the European Environment Agency as a soil expert and also chair the European Soil Partnership. In this capacity, I collect and summarise national soil experts’ opinions on the issues raised by FAO’s Global Soil Partnership. The GIS Sol teams play an essential role in these European meeting places. They promote the French soil monitoring system as part of the European soil strategy. They also contribute relevant scientific knowledge on the subject: the indicators to be monitored, the definition of critical limits, and the harmonisation of European systems, etc. In this respect, INRAE and the GIS Sol are major players in discussions on soil monitoring in Europe.”
Testimonial from our thematic dossier
Thematic dossier
Info&Sols, a partnership approach to soil knowledge and monitoring in France
At the interface with water, air, rock and living organisms, soils are living, fragile environments that need to be preserved. They are at the heart of crucial global issues for the planet and for our own survival. Yet in Europe, over 60% of soil is degraded. This dossier looks at the establishment of a soil knowledge and monitoring system in France, the public policies that have benefited from these scientific advances and the emerging issues surrounding soil.
