Yara’s agtech arm Varda joins European soil health study
Varda was founded by the global nutrient giant Yara International to support and advance sustainable agriculture practices.
It has developed the SoilHive platform which aims to speed the access to public and private soil data on a global scale.
The overall goal of Varda is to enable the use of field-level data to accelerate the transition towards a nature-positive food system, making farm and field-level data key ingredients in the next 'green revolution' in agriculture.
The DeepHorizon project, which is led by the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, aims to better understand the qualities, importance and function of subsoil in maintaining crucial soil health in the face of climate change.
The project officially kicks off on 1 October.
The scale of soil degradation in Europe is substantial, the European Environment Agency has warned, affecting not only agricultural productivity but also ecological balance and human health.
Varda will support the project with data management and facilitate data sharing and discoverability.
This will involve extending existing knowlege to include subsoil domains and functions, enabling data sharing across different stakeholders, creating the first European-level subsoil dataset, and enhancing SoilHive to improve the discovery of subsoil data.
Why subsoil degradation is critical in Europe
According to the 16 companies and universities that form the DeepHorizon Consortium, they will address the critical issue of subsoil degradation in Europe caused by unsustainable land management practices and climate change.
Currently, subsoils are largely unexplored and neglected despite their vital role in ecosystem health. They contribute significantly to carbon storage, water retention, nutrient cycling, and overall soil fertility.
Understanding and managing subsoils is crucial for sustainable agriculture, climate change mitigation, and maintaining biodiversity, the DeepHorizon stresses. Enhanced research and investment in subsoil studies can unlock their potential to support resilient ecosystems and secure long-term environmental benefits. DeepHorizon aims to explore subsoils' potential through data collection, modelling, and stakeholder collaboration.
“Subsoil degradation is a huge challenge and continues to be exacerbated by factors including climate change and land management practices,” said Simone Sala, director of soil and ecosystem solutions at Varda.
“We’re proud to be joining the DeepHorizon Consortium to bring greater transparency to soil data and help to protect the future of our soils.”
Collaboration and data sharing will be crucial
Varda’s SoilHive serves as a centralised repository, explained Sala, where researchers can access a wealth of information on soil, nutrient levels, chemical composition, and more. By sharing insights, data, and research findings, the hope is that researchers, scientists, and governments can collectively contribute to a more holistic understanding of soil-related issues and work towards innovative solutions.
“In our fight against climate change, collaboration will be essential, which is why it is one of the key pillars of everything we do at Varda,” Sala said.
“We hope that this project will showcase the power of collective strength and act as a catalyst for positive, impactful change across Europe and beyond.”
A holistic view of soil functioning is needed
Professor Mathieu Javaux, from the Earth and Life Institute at UCLouvain, added that the unique aspect of DeepHorizon is a holistic view of soil functioning at the scale of the entire soil profile, from the surface to the deepest layers.
“As coordinator of DeepHorizon, I am very hopeful that by bringing together scientists and companies from different horizons and with different expertise, we will be able to improve the understanding of how the soil system works and provide stakeholders with new tools to manage the subsoil and improve its health.”
