GOV4ALL: Regenerating Soil Health Across the Mediterranean
Governance and business models for agricultural living labs: rural regeneration hubs for tackling soil health challenges.
In the Mediterranean, where 60-70% of soils are degraded, farmers struggle to adopt regenerative practices that balance environmental needs with economic realities. GOV4ALL is supporting five regional living labs to treat soils as integral to social-ecological systems. Using innovative governance models, co-creation processes, and purpose-aligned business models these hubs will connect farmers, scientists, NGOs, policymakers, and the public to work toward a vision of an agricultural system that protects natural resources by focusing on regenerating the soil.
- Funder: European Union’s HORIZON research
- Grant Agreement: N° 101157865
- Coordinator: SAE Innova
- Partners: The GOV4ALL consortium consists of 36 partners. To check out the full list of partners, visit the GOV4ALL website (link on the right).
- Date: June 2024 – September 2028
The Mediterranean’s soil crisis
The Mediterranean is warming 20% faster than the global average, intensifying pressures on water and food systems. At the same time, up to 70% of soils in the region are degraded due to unsustainable practices, jeopardizing ecosystems, agricultural productivity, and rural livelihoods. Farmers face complex challenges—economic, environmental, and technical—that hinder the adoption of scalable, cost-effective soil regeneration practices.
GOV4ALL tackles this urgent issue by prioritizing soil health as a cornerstone of sustainable development. It integrates governance, innovation, and community participation to create solutions tailored to the unique challenges of the Mediterranean.
Collaborative innovation for systemic change
GOV4ALL is supporting five Living Labs across the Mediterranean to address soil health challenges. These labs act as “rural regeneration hubs” where farmers, scientists, NGOs, policymakers, and the public collaborate on region-specific solutions. Metabolic is working with knowledge partners on the one hand and governance experts on the other to help these living labs get established and focus on the right issues in their region.
Metabolic Ventures supports the labs by guiding them to develop as “systemic ventures,” ensuring they focus on key regional challenges and achieve sustainable financial models to thrive beyond EU funding.
Living Labs for rural regeneration
GOV4ALL is designed to deliver lasting impact by addressing the root causes of soil degradation and creating sustainable pathways for regeneration. The project’s outcomes include:
- Governance models that work: Each region will receive customized governance frameworks to drive long-term collaboration and sustainable outcomes.
- Five thriving innovation hubs: The living labs will operate as self-sustaining entities, fostering local economic and ecological regeneration.
- Increased soil literacy and awareness: enhancing the understanding of soil health and its socio-economic importance, the project aims to empower stakeholders with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions.
- Scalable practices: Clear, actionable guidelines for soil health improvement will be developed and shared for widespread adoption.
- Policy alignment and advocacy: The project will provide actionable insights to policymakers, helping shape interventions that favor regional soil regeneration. Clear evidence and guidelines will ensure that policy decisions are informed and impactful.
- Stronger networks: GOV4ALL will forge lasting connections between farmers, innovators, and policymakers, ensuring the ripple effect of its successes extends far beyond the project.
Through these outcomes, GOV4ALL sets the stage for a sustainable agricultural future in the Mediterranean, offering tools, models, and networks to tackle soil health challenges at scale.
