Healthy soil is the source of all life on earth. We sometimes forget this, because it lies beneath our feet. Three future scenarios explore how we can improve our soil care and become soil stewards.

Healthy and living soil is of immeasurable value. It ensures durable water management, healthy food production and rich biodiversity. Nowadays, few people realise how important soil is for man and nature. In order to raise awareness about the soil, OVAM has created 'Soil+Land Stewardship'. The initiative aims to provide an action perspective for all actors who come into direct or indirect contact with soil. Farmers, gardeners, entrepreneurs, food consumers: we are all soil stewards. Looking after soil means looking after our future generations.  

Together with a group of stakeholders from all over Europe, OVAM and ShiftN developed three future scenarios, which Architecture Workroom has visualised. They explore the directions in which Soil+Land Stewardship could develop between now and 2050. The three resulting creations each take the reader on a different journey. An activist pamphlet demonstrates the strong bottom-up driven movement of 'Save Our Soils'. A board game encourages the rediscovery of the natural wealth in our immediate environment, and a strategic map illustrates continental cooperation between Europe and Africa around soil care.  

The three future scenarios do not point out a clear path we should follow, but show us different possibilities. They help us explore the consequences of certain choices. OVAM wants to use the future scenarios to engage in dialogue with stakeholders, potential soil stewards and partners, with the aim of broadening the scope of soil stewardship as a practice.  

Year: 2020-2021  
 
Commissioning party: Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM)  

Partner: ShiftN

More information: here