It’s a chilly December morning. On a test site outside AU Viborg in Denmark, Professor Mogens H. Greve is bent over the ground. Rain-filled clouds hang heavily over the dark landscape as he presses a handful of soil between his fingers. He crumbles it slowly, observing its colour, moisture and structure.

“Everything starts here,” he says with a smile. “Soil health is the foundation of our food and our climate. And we’ve neglected it for far too long.”

He speaks calmly, but with a firmness that reveals this is not just another research topic. It is a mission. And from 2026, it will be his job to turn the EU’s new Soil Monitoring Law, the first common European soil legislation ever, into reality in Denmark.

A historic turning point for Europe’s soils

For decades, the EU has had common laws for air and water. But the soil, the basis of all life, has existed without protection. The results are clear: more than 60% of Europe’s soils are in poor condition.

“We’ve had directives for water, we’ve had directives for air, but not for soil,” Mogens H. Greve explains. “This is the first time the EU says: We must have healthy soils by 2050. And we have to do it together.”

The new Soil Monitoring Law is not a traditional environmental law. It does not impose fines or bans on farmers. It is built on knowledge, cooperation, and support.

“You could say this is not the hammer, but the helping hand. We’re not coming with obligations, but with knowledge, guidance and shared ambitions,” says Mogens H. Greve.

The law requires Member States to monitor soil health based on a common set of indicators: from carbon content and structure to biodiversity and pollution. The goal is to build a scientific foundation that allows the EU and Member States to understand, measure and improve soil health across borders.

From directive to Danish soil

When monitoring begins in 2028, Denmark will be among the first countries to put the law into practice. And at the forefront stands Mogens H. Greve and his team at Aarhus University.

“It may sound simple,” he says, “but it’s an enormous task. We must decide where we measure, how many locations, how we do it, and who will carry it out. And we must ensure that all the data we collect can be used both here at home and across the EU.”

The plan is to establish around 1,000-1,500 sampling points across the country. Soil samples will be taken on both public and private land in close collaboration with landowners, farmers and advisers.

“The most important thing is that we do this together. Denmark has a strong tradition of cooperation between research, authorities and agriculture. That will be crucial here,” says Mogens H. Greve.

The hidden resource

When Mogens H. Greve talks about soil, it is with the passion of someone who has spent a lifetime mapping, understanding and protecting it. He began as a geologist but quickly realised that it was the transition between stone and life, the soil layer itself, that fascinated him.

“I think many of us end up where we do because we meet someone who sparks something in us,” he says. “I had a teacher who made me see how much the soil means for everything we take for granted.”

Since then, he has worked across much of the world and with all types of soils. He has developed soil maps, monitoring systems and databases used in both research and administration. But he has never lost his down‑to‑earth connection.

“When I stand with my hands in the soil, it becomes clear: we’re not talking about numbers and tables, we’re talking about life.”

A system in motion

Implementing the Soil Monitoring Law is not just a technical project. It is about changing a culture, and about encouraging farmers, advisers and policymakers to view soil as something to be cared for, not just exploited.

“We actually have an advantage in Denmark,” he says. “Many farmers know what happens when they drive heavy machinery on wet soil or overwork the land. There is an understanding of the importance of healthy soils, and a movement toward more gentle practices.”

He hopes the law becomes a lever, not a raised finger.

“If farmers experience this as support rather than control, then we’ve already won a lot.”

When the soil gets a voice

In his keynote at the European Mission Soil Week in Aarhus in early November, Mogens H. Greve also warned against complacency.

He called the law “a historic first step, but only a step.”

“I worry that we’ll repeat the story of the Water Framework Directive,” he said on stage. “There we had clear, binding targets and that’s what drove action. Without that for soils, it may be hard to meet the goals in time.”

He also stressed that knowledge and training will be key to success:

“We must involve the whole society from schoolchildren to politicians. Everyone must understand that soil health concerns us all.”

Fact box: What is the soil monitoring law?

• Adopted in 2025 as the EU’s first legislation on soil health
• Goal: Healthy soils throughout the EU by 2050
• Requires Member States to establish national monitoring systems based on common indicators
• Covers physical, chemical and biological parameters such as carbon content, structure, pollution and biodiversity
• Focus on support rather than sanctions: Member States must offer guidance, training and access to research
• Forms the basis for evidence-based policy and future regulation
• Read the full law text here

Data, drones and the invisible life

For Mogens H. Greve and his colleagues, the work is not just about measuring but about understanding.

He also leads the EU project AI4SoilHealth, which develops methods to monitor soil conditions using satellites, sensors and artificial intelligence.

“We’re working to create a digital twin of Europe’s soils,” he explains. “With data at 30‑meter resolution, we can track developments. We can see whether the soil is becoming healthier or degrading. It will be an invaluable tool for policymakers and soil managers.”

But technology alone won’t solve the problem. That’s why he also drives the Mass Experiment 2025, where 20,000 Danish students investigate soil health at their schools throughout the country.

“It’s fantastic,” he says. “They dig up soil, measure pH, look for earthworms, and they learn that the ground beneath their feet is actually alive. That’s where it begins.”

Healthy soils mean healthy societies

When asked what success looks like in 2050, Mogens H. Greve pauses for a moment to think.

“It’s very ambitious to believe we’ll get all the way there,” he says honestly. “But if we move in the right direction, if all actors understand how important this is, then we’ve achieved something significant.”

For him, the goal is not just healthy soils but a healthier society.

“Healthy soils give stable yields, better water quality, and store carbon. That means security for farmers, food security for the population, and a stronger climate for everyone.”

He crumbles another handful of soil between his fingers.

“We mustn’t forget that everything starts here,” he says quietly. “Right here.”

More Information

Read more about the Soil Monitoring Law here
Also see the news: “The Soil Monitoring Law is published in the EU Official Journal”

Contact Professor Mogens Greve, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University
Phone: +45 20716734
Email: greve@agro.au.dk