European crop production is to remain competitive while reducing environmental impacts, requiring development and uptake of effective soil improving cropping systems. The overall aim of SOILCARE is to identify and evaluate promising soil-improving cropping systems and agronomic techniques increasing profitability and sustainability across scales in Europe. A trans-disciplinary approach will be used to evaluate benefits and drawbacks of a new generation of soil improving cropping systems, incorporating all relevant bio-physical, socio-economic and political aspects. Existing information from literature and long term experiments will be analysed to develop a comprehensive methodology for assessing performance of cropping systems at multiple levels. A multi-actor approach will be used to select promising soil-improving cropping systems for scientific evaluation in 16 study sites across Europe covering different pedo-climatic and socio-economic conditions. Implemented cropping systems will be monitored with stakeholder involvement, and will be assessed jointly with scientists. Specific attention will be paid to adoption of soil-improving cropping systems and agronomic techniques within and beyond the study sites. Results from study sites will be up-scaled to the European level to draw general lessons about applicability potentials of soil-improving cropping systems and related profitability and sustainability impacts, including assessing barriers for adoption at that scale. An interactive tool will be developed for end-users to identify and prioritize suitable soil-improving cropping systems anywhere in Europe. Current policies and incentives will be assessed and targeted policy recommendations will be provided. SOILCARE will take an active dissemination approach to achieve impact from local to European level, addressing multiple audiences, to enhance crop production in Europe to remain competitive and sustainable through dedicated soil care.

Safe drinking water is vital for human health. Diffuse pollution of nitrogen and pesticides from agriculture is the main obstacle to meet drinking water quality targets. Policies to protect drinking water resources have not achieved a consistent effectiveness in all member states. The objective of FAIRWAY is to review policy, governance and farm water management approaches to protect drinking water resources in the EU and to identify and further develop innovative measures and governance approaches which will simultaneously increase the sustainability of agriculture. The FAIRWAY partners form a unique blend of researchers, farm advisers and consultancies and is built on 13 case studies (‘living labs’) in 11 different EU countries, which will form the core of a multi-actor platform, underpinning all FAIRWAY work packages. Equally important is the upscaling of successful practices from case studies to the regional, national, and EU scales, emphasising the role of effective communication and extension tools developed in FAIRWAY. The outputs will provide a blueprint for multi-actor engagement across different scales, which will allow agriculture and water policies to be addressed in a more integrated way. FAIRWAY will i) increase the scientific understanding of the relationship between agriculture and drinking water protection, ii) increase the understanding for the social, technical and economic barriers to practical implementing of measures (iii) deliver innovative measures and tools to overcome these barriers, iv) develop protocols and data-sets for monitoring of farming practices and water quality, v) develop effective governance approaches for small to large water supplies, and vi) increase awareness and involvement of farmers and other citizens in the monitoring and governance of water supplies. The FAIRWAY results will be widely disseminated to a range of targeted audiences using state-of-the-art technologies, social media and workshops.