👏🏼 Malmö hosts 2nd European Panel for Agroecology Transition
The European Panel for Agroecology Transition (EPAT), 2nd meeting in Malmö, Sweden
Picture by Allison-Marie Loconto (2025)
📅 On 1 October 2025, the Stadshuset in Malmö was the venue for the second annual meeting of the European Panel for Agroecology Transition (EPAT), a key initiative of the Agroecology Partnership's science-policy interface (WP2). Convened by ANR and INRAE, the event brought together a diverse group of policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders to delve into the critical theme of the "soil nexus in agroecology transitions."
🤝 The day began with a collaborative tour de table, setting a participatory tone for the discussions. INRAE and Aarhus University DCA presented the main topics and purposes of this EPAT event that is centred around the recently adopted soil monitoring law. To do this, they 1️⃣ put “Agroecology and soils” in a time perspective, 2️⃣ overviewed the main threats to soil health that have been identified in the SML and indeed in the scientific literature, 3️⃣ looked at the elements for soil health concepts, and 4️⃣ briefly gave an overview/timeline of (EU) soil related regulations.
📊 Following introductions to the EPAT's long-term objectives and the broader AGROECOLOGY Partnership, partners from Aarhus University ICROFS presented the phase one results from the benchmarking survey carried out by WP2’s Task Force Hermes. This was followed by a scene-setting presentation by Patrick Lavelle of Sorbonne University, who unpacked the profound complexity of soil systems based on experiences in Colombia.
💬 A pivotal roundtable session explored the framing and implementation of agroecological transitions, specifically through the lens of soil. Panelists from EC Via Campesina, Malmö's local government, DG AGRI, ERRIN, University of Tomas Bata in Zlin, Biovision Africa Trust and CSIC debated the narratives and practical policy tools needed to support the implementation of the upcoming EU Soil Law at national levels, ensuring benefits for farmers and citizens alike. A subsequent presentation from DG Environment provided crucial insights into the Soil directive itself.
🛠️ The afternoon featured deep-dive breakout sessions on key challenges: the local impacts of the future soil law, regional showcases like Northern Ireland's landscape monitoring, and the role of soil in climate mitigation while preventing greenwashing. These workshops generated rich feedback on indicators, farmer engagement, and financing, which was consolidated in a final plenary discussion.
✅ The event concluded by looking ahead to the 2026 EPAT, ensuring the momentum from this successful dialogue will continue to shape the Partnership's work in bridging science and policy for a sustainable agroecological future.
📆 In preparation for this event, the WP2 partners of AGROECOLOGY gathered on 30 September 2025 also at the Stadshuset in Malmö. This meeting proved to be a pivotal moment for the partners, as it offered the group a chance to reflect up the work done so far in the project's initial phase and to begin to establish their plans for the ambitious Phase 2, set to commence in January 2026.
🚀 Concrete next steps were established, including completing survey rounds by end-2025, developing guidelines for local policy dialogues, and preparing for the launch of new tasks like the National Mirror Initiatives. The meeting successfully strengthened the collaborative framework, ensuring the partnership is well-positioned to bridge science and policy for a meaningful agroecology transition in Europe and beyond.
🔜 The next EPAT and accompanying WP2 meeting is scheduled for Q4 2026.