SOIL DAY 2026

On the occasion of World Soil Day, and for the 6th consecutive year, the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), the Environment Agency (AEV) and the Agricultural Technical Services Administration (ASTA), in collaboration with the Soil Science Society of Luxembourg (SSSL), are organizing a conference day dedicated to soils and their essential role for the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

In Luxembourg as elsewhere, many sectors work daily in direct connection with soils, each from its own perspective: production of food or non-food biomass, support for urban development, potentially contaminated environments to characterize or remediate, ecosystems supporting biodiversity, subjects of scientific study, or materials to be excavated and managed. Despite this diversity of perspectives, all these sectors share common challenges: characterizing and mapping soil properties, better understanding how soils function and the degradation processes affecting them, and developing sustainable management practices suited to environmental, economic, and societal challenges.

The 2026 edition will be an opportunity to foster the sharing of experiences and exchanges within and between sectors, with the aim of encouraging cross-sector synergies around all aspects related to soils and soil science. Particular attention will nonetheless be given to:

• the Soil Monitoring Directive and its transposition into national law
• the environmental roles of soil (for example, climate regulation)
• scientific innovation in soil science.

New for 2026: for the first time, the development of the program is open to all professionals whose work is directly related to soils in Luxembourg.

You are invited to share the challenges you face and/or the solutions you are studying, developing, or implementing.
To do so, please review the call for contributions below.

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS GUIDELINES

Promote exchanges and synergies between actors from sectors working directly with soils in Luxembourg

Foster the dissemination of scientific and technical knowledge from European and national projects

Raise awareness of the issues related to sustainable management and protection of soils across the various sectors involved

This day is aimed at all stakeholders concerned with the protection, resilience, and sustainable use of soils in Luxembourg:

• Representatives from the agricultural, forestry, construction, land-use planning, industrial, and soil remediation sectors
• Researchers
• Public decision-makers
• Environmental protection associations
• Anyone interested in soil preservation