DAY TWOWednesday, 22 June 2022 - EET (Eastern European Time, GMT+02:00)

Declining soil health takes several forms, including erosion, loss of organic carbon, changing pH, reduced biodiversity, nutrient mining, salinisation, compaction, and contamination. According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, land degradation has reduced the productivity of 23 per cent of the global land surface. In response, the EU launched its "soil strategy for 2030" as a key deliverable of the EU biodiversity strategy (part of the European Green Deal). Panellists will consider which aspects of soil health plant biostimulants and other sustainable ag technologies can help to improve and how. Are there obstacles keeping them from playing a greater role? Are there ways to increase farmer incentives to keep their soils productive, and are there any perverse factors that might disincentivise farmers from good soil stewardship?