The preliminary programme for Soil Health Now! 2026 has been launched, bringing together researchers, policymakers, farmers, businesses and technology developers from across Europe at a pivotal moment for soil policy and practice. As the continent faces growing challenges from extreme weather, geopolitical uncertainty and disruptions to global supply chains, the need for resilient agricultural systems has never been greater.
Taking place from 7-10 December 2026 in Thessaloniki, Greece, the international conference will provide a key forum for stakeholders to explore how the EU’s new Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive can be implemented effectively at Member State level. The Directive, which came into force in December 2025, establishes a common framework for monitoring, assessing and improving soil health across Europe.
A major feature of the event will be the AI4SoilHealth Final Event, marking the conclusion of four years of Horizon Europe research and innovation. Delegates will be among the first to see the latest version of the project’s AI-powered Soil Health Viewer, which combines earth observation, soil data and artificial intelligence to support evidence-based decision making for land managers, advisers, researchers and policymakers. The platform includes an AI chatbot that enables users to explore soil health information through natural language questions.
Alongside demonstrations of new digital tools, the event will showcase how AI4SoilHealth is supporting Europe’s soil ambitions through the development of robust soil health indicator frameworks, harmonised monitoring approaches, field-based soil measurement tools, high-resolution soil datasets and practical solutions that can help support consistent soil monitoring and assessment across Member States.
Building on the success of previous editions, Soil Health Now! 2026 will provide a unique forum for sharing knowledge, showcasing innovation and exploring how science, technology and policy can work together to improve soil health and resilience across Europe.
Registration is now open for both in-person and online participants.
Find out more and register: https://2026.soilhealthnow.events
Find out more about AI4SoilHealth: https://ai4soilhealth.eu/
