Living Labs Strengthening Soil Health

GOV4ALL Advances AgroInnovation Hubs at General Assembly in Astros, Greece

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ASTROS, GREECE, 19 MAY 2026 – The GOV4ALL consortium gathed in Astros, Greece from 19 to 21 May 2026 for its penultimate General Assembly, marking a key milestone in the development of agroinnovation hubs aimed at restoring soil health across the Mediterranean region.
Hosted by the Thyrea Living Lab, one of GOV4ALL’s five soil health living labs, which is coordinated by Meraki People the three day meeting brought together project partners, researchers, policymakers, farmers and local community actors from France, Greece, Spain, Menorca and Lesvos. The assembly focused on strengthening governance and business models that will enable living labs to evolve into fully operational, replicable rural regeneration hubs.

What is GOV4ALL?

GOV4ALL is an EU-funded Horizon project that fosters sustainable agricultural initiatives across Europe. With five agro-innovation hubs in Greece, Spain, and France, the project aims to demonstrate that co-created systemic changes in soil management are achievable. These Living Labs put farmers and rural communities at the heart of soil health restoration efforts. The initiative is supported by 35 partners from Austria, Greece, France, Spain, and the Netherlands, with 12 Greek partners actively involved.

Learn more about the project

Activities of the General Assembly

Dates: May 20, 2026
Location: Doliana, Arcadia

Over the course of the meeting, partners shared progress and strategic guidance across core project areas, including soil science research, ethics, communication and policy engagement. Discussions revolved around how the living labs are building on foundational work to create long term structures that can support sustainable farming practices and resilient rural communities beyond the project’s lifetime.

A key highlight of the General Assembly was a field visit on 20 May to nearby Doliana, where consortium members visited soil trial sites and met local farmers directly involved in the project. These visits provided firsthand insight into ongoing soil research and demonstrated how scientific findings are being translated into practical, regenerative agricultural practices at the local level.

Christiana Gardikioti, Thyrea Living Lab Ambassador

“This has been a powerful and meaninful opportunity to connect European research with local farmers and communities. The Thyrea Living Lab shows how collaboration on the ground can turn soil science into real solutions for farmers and the environment.”

The agroinnovation hubs developed through GOV4ALL are a central outcome of the project. Designed as long-lasting beacons for sustainable land management, these hubs will continue to share knowledge, services, and business strategies tailored to local needs, supporting farmers while protecting and regenerating soil resources.

The meeting in Astros also forms part of the European Union’s wider ambition under the Soil Mission to establish 100 soil health living labs across Europe.

Tristano Bachetti De Gregoris, Coordinator of GOV4ALL at SAE Innova

“This is an important step towards establishing agroinnovation hubs that will outlive the project itself. By combining local knowledge with scientific expertise, GOV4ALL is helping shape a resilient and regenerative future for Mediterranean agriculture.”

Thyrea Living Lab: A Historical and Environmental Context

North Kynouria, historically known as Thyreatis, spans 577 km², covering a diverse landscape of forests, grasslands, olive groves, and vineyards. Despite its rich biodiversity, the region faces pressing agricultural challenges, including poor fruit fly management, water scarcity, extreme weather events, and harmful soil practices that have led to severe erosion and loss of soil fertility.

The GOV4ALL initiative, through the Thyrea Living Lab, engages a dynamic grassroots community led by Meraki People (MRK), an organization involved in global open-science movements like the MIT Media Lab-led Global Community Bio Summit. The lab’s leaders, with a strong entrepreneurial mindset, are committed to implementing regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, and eco-scaping initiatives to revitalize the region.

Partnership

The GOV4ALL consortium comprises 35 partners from Austria, Greece, France, Spain and the Netherlands and an associated partner from Switzerland. The project is funded within the EU Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ (Mission Soil) of the Horizon Europe programme. The Mission Soil is focused on protecting and restoring soil and promoting sustainable management practices in urban and rural areas and leading the transition towards
healthy soil by 2030.