Soil Sustainability in Luxembourg
Healthy soils are a pre-requisite to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Soils are a key reservoir of global biodiversity and the basis of food security. In Luxembourg as with many regions in Europe and the world, soils are threatened by urbanization, pollution, and erosion. Soils produce greenhouse gases that increase the risk of climate extremes, and nutrient runoff that threatens our fresh water supply.
These are global issues. How is Luxembourg facing these challenges to protect and manage soils sustainably?
Last year LIST hosted the 1st workshop on soil sustainability in Luxembourg, with a focus on future challenges.
A key outcome of the 1st workshop: there is more than one single issue concerning soil sustainability in Luxembourg (see the workshop panel summary). The panel concluded that bringing soil sustainability to the centre of all relevant activities is the most important way forward.
On the 2nd of December, soil professionals, researchers, and representatives from administrations will meet once again in celebration of the World Soil Day (annually, 5th December), to discuss the current state of soils in Luxembourg.
This year the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) will join forces with two Luxembourgish ministries: Ministère de l’Environnement, du Climat et du Développement durable (MECDD), and Ministère de l’Agriculture, de la Viticulture et du Développement rural (MAVDR).
The hybrid (virtual and in-person) conference includes keynote presentations, scientific talks, scientific posters, and a discussion on the pertinence to have a “Luxembourgish soil society”.
Programme
Provisional Programme & Poster session
PROGRAMME
TIME DESCRIPTION
8:30 Registration and Welcome coffee
9:00 Introduction and look back at the 2021 Soil Sustainability Workshop
Prof. Lucien Hoffmann, Director, LIST, Environmental Research & Innovation Department
9:15 Welcome address
Claudia Hitaj, Ministry of environment, Climate and Sustainable Development
9:30 KEYNOTE: Soil organic carbon – Science and Realism
Prof. Mark Kibblewhite, Professor Emeritus, Cranfield University, Department of Environmental Science and Technology
10:00 Science TALK: Project ADAPT:
Reducing the trade-off between N2O emissions and soil organic carbon sequestration in Luxembourg croplands
Dr Kate Buckeridge, Senior Researcher, LIST, Environmental Research & Innovation Department
10:20 Science TALK: Soil erosion : identification of risk areas in the context of the new Common Agricultural Policy
Mathieu Steffen, Engineer, Administration des services techniques de l'agriculture (ASTA)
10:40 Science TALK: Luxembourgish farmers and their soils – Results from a sustainability analysis
Evelyne Stoll, Researcher, Institut fir Biologësch Landwirtschaft an Agrarkultur Luxemburg a.s.b.l. (IBLA)
11:00 Coffee Break & Posters Session
11:45 Science TALK: Soil bacterial, fungal and diatom biodiversity in Luxembourg
Dr Magda Calusinska | Dr Xavier Goux | Dr Carlos Wetzel, LIST, Environmental Research & Innovation Department
12:15 Science TALK: Agricultural and Horticultural Suitability Map of Luxembourg (AHSL) The methodological framework (first phase)
Dr Ivonne Weichold, Research Associate, Urban Development & Mobility, LISER
12:30 Lunch Break & Posters Session
14:00 Welcome address by M. Claude Haagen, ministre de l'Agriculture, de la Viticulture et du Développement rural
14:15 KEYNOTE: Carbon farming for climate mitigation: opportunities and challenges
Dr Martin Wiesmeier, Head of Department, Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft Institute for Organic Farming, Soil and Resource Management
14:45 Science TALK: Impact of agricultural practices on soil organic carbon in Luxembourg
Prof. Bas Van Wesemael, Professor, Université Catholique de Louvain - UCLouvain
15:10 Science TALK: Life Cycle assessment of excavated soil management in Luxembourg
Dr Benedetto Rugani, Senior Researcher, LIST, Environmental Research & Innovation Department
15:30 Presentation & Discussion: A soil association for Luxembourg?
16:30 Closing & Drink
POSTER SESSION
A poster session on the thematic of the event will be organised in parallel of the conference.
If you are interested, please submit your poster title on soilevent@list.lu prior to November 25, 2022.
The selected posters will be printed by the authors in portrait A0 for the conference day.
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Practical Infos
When: 2 December 2022
Participate in this event either virtually from any location or in-person (limited seats)
Venue: TECHNOPORT ACCESS MAP
Technoport | technology business incubator 9, avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux| L-4362 Esch-sur-Alzette
Schedule: 9:00 a.m. to 04:30 p.m.
The use of public transport is free of charge throughout Luxembourg for all residents and non-residents (except for first class tickets).
From City center to Belval (Esch-sur-Alzette):
- bus to Luxembourg main train station. Schedule is available HERE
- train n° 60 from Luxembourg main train station to Belval train station (stop: Belval-Université).
More information about public transportation in Luxembourg on http://www.mobiliteit.lu
Contact
Prof. Dr Lucien HOFFMANN
Director of Environmental Research and Innovation department
Send an e-mail