DeepHorizon Project

DeepHorizon is a Horizon Europe “Soil Deal for Europe” mission project involving 20 partners. Its goal is to enhance understanding and management of subsoil properties, functions, and ecosystem services to improve soil health and resilience.

By focusing on the often-overlooked layer beneath the topsoil, DeepHorizon addresses key environmental challenges such soil degradation, nutrient leaching, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss— all essential to climate change adaptation and sustainable agriculture.

Using a multi-actor approach involving farmers, researchers, and policymakers, DeepHorizon will:

1. Collect and use existing data on subsoils;

2. Generate new knowledge through sampling at 40 core sites across varied soils, land uses, management practices, and climates;
3. Apply innovative models to assess subsoil functions and health indicators;
4. Engage stakeholders through living labs and networks to co-create, test, and scale practical solutions across 100 test sites in Europe.

Expected outcomes include increased crop production, a better water management system, as well as increased carbon storage, all of which will support the common goals of the environmental and agricultural policy of the European Union.