Lille Metropole participation in the EU soil mission week from 21 to 23 November in Madrid

During the EU soil Mission week, Lille Metropole was invited to share its vision about soil management and to present a key research project REPONSE (RE)vélateur du (PO)tentiel (N)ourricier du (S)ol et de son (E)cosystème – revealing the nourishing potential of soil and its ecosystem).

As a metropole with about 45% of the territory cultivated and also the elaboration of several urban agriculture projects, Lille Metropole follows closely the Development of the EU soil mission.

In 2020, as winner of a project call launched by the French national agency for urban renovation (ANRU - Agence Nationale de Rénouvellement Urbain), Lille Metropole launched the project fertile neighborhoods. The aim of the projects is to support temporary or permanent urban agriculture projects in urban renovation areas.

In the framework of the development of these urban agriculture projects, it has been observed that there are increasing difficulties in obtaining supplies of healthy, fertile land. Through the project “REPONSE” Lille Metropole is proposing to turn this constraint into an opportunity to remedy the scarcity of "healthy, fertile land" and polluted soils. In concrete terms, Lille Metropole has signed a €455,000 Research and Development contract with a wide range of players, including research laboratories, manufacturers and associations, with the aim of being as representative as possible of all local players. The ambition of the Action Research program is to define "the right recipes" made up of local mineral and organic elements to restore soil functions. These include not only fertility, but also water storage, carbon sequestration and support for biodiversity... Soils are a real lever for resilience and adaptation to global warming.