SALIENCE Project in Greece

5 World Café Dialogues for Soil and Community Regeneration

People working together

SALIENCE – Soil Alliance: Connecting Stakeholders for Soil Health and Sustainable Development in Rural Mediterranean Regions is a European initiative aimed at promoting sustainable land management and soil health through community-led, inclusive, and participatory processes. Supported under the broader frameworks of GOV4ALL Project and REINFORCING, the project operates through three regional Living Labs, including Thyrea (Greece), and empowers rural communities to co-create visions for soil regeneration.

With a strong emphasis on soil literacy, intergenerational learning, and collective design, SALIENCE helps bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and local action. Τhe project fosters collaboration between farmers, youth, scientists, and local authorities. Ultimately, SALIENCE contributes to the EU Soil Mission's goal: ensuring 75% of EU soils are healthy by 2030

Five World Café Sessions: Building Soil Awareness, One Conversation at a Time

Between June and September 2025, SALIENCE facilitated five World Café sessions in different rural areas, engaging diverse community members to reflect on the meaning of soil health, climate change, local production, and resilience. These interactive sessions provided space for farmers, citizens, youth, scientists, and public authorities to meet, share experiences, and shape collective visions for the land.

Workshop 1 – Kalamata | June 20, 2025

The first session kicked off in Kalamata, focusing on the importance of soil as a source of life, regeneration, and sustainable development. Participants explored questions around the role of healthy soils in building resilient communities and reimagined the future of rural land.

Co-organized with New Agriculture New Generation, the event emphasized the need to co-create solutions rooted in local knowledge, while also connecting with EU-level policy initiatives

Workshop 2 – Koutsopodi | July 2, 2025

The second workshop shed light on the astonishing biodiversity of healthy soil. Discussions revolved around degraded soils in Europe and the urgent need to reverse soil degradation through education, good practices, and youth engagement.

Participants reflected on soil as a vital and living ecosystem, reinforcing the message that everyone has a role to play in its protection

Workshop 3 – Kato Doliana | July 21, 2025

Titled "Co-creating a Shared Vision for Northern Kynouria", this session combined a short presentation on soil literacy with World Café dialogue rounds. Participants engaged in guided group discussions to identify local soil challenges, envision future landscapes, and propose collaborative actions.

With contributions from local stakeholders and experts, the event highlighted the power of participatory methods in shaping rural sustainability strategies

Workshop 4 – Agios Ioannis (Agiannis) | July 27, 2025

Using the core principles of the World Café method, the fourth workshop in Agiannis encouraged cross-pollination of ideas among diverse groups. Key themes included:

  • Local soil degradation challenges

  • Regenerative practices already in use

  • How to empower youth and women in agri-innovation

  • Building bridges between citizens and scientists

Structured around three thematic rounds, the session cultivated new ideas for action, strengthened community bonds, and promoted shared ownership of soil stewardship

Workshop 5 – Tegea, Arcadia | September 5, 2025

The fifth and final session marked a culmination of the SALIENCE dialogue series in Greece, under the title "Healthy Soil – Living Land". Held as an open public event, it combined a panel discussion with local winemakers and farmers with a participatory World Café.

Themes explored:

  • Climate change and vineyard practices

  • Youth return to the countryside

  • Wine tourism and sustainable rural economy

  • Local perceptions of "healthy soil" and community resilience

The event was co-hosted by the Thyrea Living Lab team with the support of the Municipality of Tripoli, the Cultural Association "I Enotita", and Growth Hub. It drew wide participation from residents, producers, scientists, and community leaders, who all contributed to a collective imagining of a brighter, soil-conscious future

Spin-off Activation: SALIENCE at the Tegea Fair – August 20, 2025

Beyond the structured workshops, the SALIENCE team also took part in the Panarkadian Fair of Tegea, a major annual cultural event. With an open-access booth and live presentation, the project reached a wider audience — including local families, youth, and visitors — highlighting the importance of soil as a shared resource and cultural foundation.

From Words to Action: What Comes Next?

The outcomes of all five World Café sessions — along with ideas gathered at the Tegea Fair — will feed into the design of a Landscape Restoration Plan for the region, as well as into broader European strategies through the GOV4ALL initiative.

SALIENCE continues to grow as a platform for grassroots engagement and knowledge exchange, rooted in the belief that healthy soil equals healthy communities — and that sustainable transformation starts with listening.

Stay connected for more updates and future events!