European Rural Development Network

21/05/2026

PL:
📢 Przypominamy – nabór do Crush Course trwa!

📌Szukamy młodych ludzi, którzy rozumieją, że zdrowa gleba = zdrowa przyszłość.

🟢Program dla par (naukowiec + media): W ciągu 40 godzin online (październik–grudzień 2026) nauczycie się wspólnie tworzyć angażujące treści o glebie – filmy, podcasty, social posty.

🟢Efekt?
• Naukowcy zyskują umiejętność trafiania ze swoimi badaniami do szerokiej publiczności
• Twórcy mediów dostają głęboką, rzetelną wiedzę o jednym z najważniejszych tematów XXI wieku

🏆Najlepsze zespoły wygrają 2500 € na wyjazd na festiwal SoilTribes w Europie (luty–maj 2027).

📌Dla kogo? Osoby do 35 lat – naukowcy gleby i specjaliści od komunikacji/medów.

Dlaczego to robimy? Bo gleba wpływa na każdy aspekt naszego życia, a wiedza o niej wciąż nie dociera do ludzi. Chcemy to zmienić – tworzymy nowe pokolenie Ambasadorów Gleby.🌿
DOŁĄCZ DO NAS → https://tiny.pl/cvk1xzjhg
Opowiedz nam o sobie, a my połączymy was w pary.

Ostatnie tygodnie naboru (kończy się 31 maja)
Więcej informacji: https://tiny.pl/krg80c2fm
***
EN
📢 Reminder – the SoilTribes call is still open!

📌We are looking for young people who understand that healthy soil = healthy future.

🟢Programme for pairs (scientist + media): Over 40 hours of online training (October–December 2026) you will learn together how to create engaging content about soil – videos, podcasts, and social media posts.

🟢The result? • Scientists will gain the ability to reach a wide audience with their research • Media professionals will receive deep, reliable knowledge about one of the most important topics of the 21st century

🏆The best teams will win €2,500 to attend the SoilTribes Festival in Europe (February–May 2027).

📌Who can join? People under 35 – soil scientists and communication/media specialists.

Why are we doing this? Because soil affects every aspect of our lives, yet knowledge about it still doesn’t reach people. We want to change that – and create a new generation of Soil Ambassadors.🌿

JOIN US → https://tiny.pl/cvk1xzjhg
We will match you into pairs.

Final weeks of the call (closes 31 May)
More information: https://tiny.pl/krg80c2fm

14/05/2026

PL
🌍 Gleba to nie brud. To podstawa naszego jedzenia, klimatu i życia. A powszechna komunikacja o niej jest… znikoma .

👉Dlatego ruszamy z SoilTribes – unikalnym programem, który łączy młodych naukowców gleby z młodymi twórcami mediów.

W parach będziecie:
• Naukowcy – uczyć się opowiadać o badaniach tak, żeby ludzie chcieli tego słuchać
• Media – zgłębiać prawdziwą wiedzę o glebie, żeby tworzyć rzetelne i porywające treści

Co Was czeka? 40-godzinny kurs online (październik–grudzień 2026) + stworzenie własnego wideo/podcastu + social postcard.
🏆Zwycięskie pary dostaną 2500 € na udział w festiwalu SoilTribes w Europie (2027).

🟢DLA KOGO? Dla osób do 35. roku życia – zarówno naukowców (gleboznawstwo, agronomia, ekologia gleby itp.), jak i twórców mediów.

📌Cel programu jest prosty: sprawić, żeby wiedza o glebie przestała być niszowa i zaczęła realnie zmieniać świadomość społeczeństwa.
Chcesz być częścią tej zmiany?

Formularz zgłoszeniowy → https://tiny.pl/cvk1xzjhg

📌Nabór do 31 maja 2026
Więcej informacji: https://tiny.pl/krg80c2fm

***
EN
🌍 Soil is not just dirt. It is the foundation of our food, climate, and life. Yet the way we talk about it is… almost non-existent.

👉That’s why we are launching SoilTribes – a unique programme that connects young soil scientists with young media creators.

In pairs you will:
• Scientists – learn how to present your research so that people actually want to listen
• Media professionals – dive deep into real soil science to create credible and captivating content

What’s in store for you? A 40-hour online course (October–December 2026) + creating your own video/podcast + social postcard.
🏆Winning pairs will receive €2,500 to participate in the SoilTribes Festival across Europe (2027).

🟢Who can apply? People under 35 – both soil scientists (pedology, agronomy, soil ecology, etc.) and media professionals.

📌The goal of the programme is simple: to make soil knowledge stop being niche and start genuinely changing public awareness.
Want to be part of this change?

Apply here → https://tiny.pl/cvk1xzjhg
📌Deadline: 31 May 2026
More information: https://tiny.pl/krg80c2fm

14/05/2026

#📢Abstract submission is now open – XXII ERDN Conference 2026!

We are pleased to invite you to the international scientific conference: “Resilient rural areas and sustainable food systems: governance, policy frameworks and structural challenges”

📆When: 29 September – 1 October 2026.
🗺Where: Mitrovica, Kosovo.

📌Important Deadlines:
Abstract submission: 15 June 2026.
Registration: Starts 1 June 2026 – 31 August 2026

No conference fee – participants cover travel and accommodation only.

Full details, registration form, abstract template and practical information are available here:
https://erdn.eu/conference-22erdn2026/

12/05/2026

☘️We had the opportunity to take part in a study visit to the Nowalijka biogas plant. It is an inspiring example of the practical implementation of the principles of a circular bioeconomy through the integration of agriculture, food supply chains, renewable energy production, and nutrient recycling.

The facility processes organic waste from vegetable production and food distribution, converting it into biogas, renewable energy, and digestate reused in agriculture. This model demonstrates how local biomass streams can support:
🌱 reducing food loss and organic waste,
🌱 reducing methane emissions,
🌱 producing renewable energy,
🌱 and closing the nutrient cycle in rural areas.

Discussions regarding the role of biomethane in the energy transition, the integration of agriculture into low-carbon value chains, and the significance of biogas in the context of future climate regulations and the ETS system were particularly interesting.

A key part of the visit was a presentation of the innovative Polish technological solutions used in the plant. The biogas plant was commissioned without the use of manure, which is a rare solution in the European biogas sector. The hydrolyzer used acts as a biotechnological accelerator, shortening the fermentation process from several dozen to just over a dozen days and increasing the plant’s flexibility with regard to various organic substrates. The plant also achieves a very high capacity utilization rate, reaching approximately 97% of the maximum output achievable by a cogeneration unit operating at full capacity throughout the year.

The visit took place with the participation of Małgorzata Żochowska representing "Race For The Baltic", which underscored the importance of biogas plants and the circular economy in reducing nutrient losses from agriculture and alleviating eutrophication pressure on the Baltic Sea.

The example of Nowalijka demonstrates the potential of biogas plants as local hubs integrating agricultural production, processing, trade, and the circular economy within the framework of a modern bioeconomy.

Therbn EU Project

07/05/2026

🌱 Startujemy z naborem do Crash Course w SoilTribes! Szukamy 20 osób, które zmienią sposób, w jaki mówimy o glebie.

👉Kogo szukamy?
• Młodych naukowców gleby (do 35 lat) – agronomia, gleboznawstwo, biologia gleby, ochrona środowiska i pokrewne kierunki 🌿
• Młodych twórców mediów (do 35 lat) – dziennikarzy, podcasterów, content creatorów, marketerów, specjalistów od nowych mediów 🎥

Razem przejdziecie 40-godzinny kurs online (październik–grudzień 2026), w parach naukowiec + media. Nauczycie się od siebie nawzajem i stworzycie praktyczny materiał: krótki film lub podcast + social postcard.

🏆Najlepsze pary otrzymają po 2500 € na wyjazd na finałową ceremonię i festiwal SoilTribes w Europie (luty–maj 2027).

👉Dlaczego robimy ten projekt? Stan gleby wpływa na bezpieczeństwo żywnościowe, klimat i przyszłość nas wszystkich. Niestety rzetelna wiedza naukowa rzadko dociera do społeczeństwa w przystępnej formie. Program Crash Course w projekcie SoilTribes ma to zmienić – budujemy most między laboratoriami a opinią publiczną.

Zostań Ambasadorem Gleby i realnie wpłyń na to, jak dbamy o glebę!
Zgłoś się → https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/CrashCourseSolitribesPolandERDN

Nabór trwa do 31 maja 2026
Więcej informacji: https://erdn.eu/call-for-applications-soiltribes-become-a-soil-ambassador-international-crash-course-competition-for-young-soil-scientists-and-media-professionals/

***
🌱 We are launching the call for applications for the SoilTribes Crash Course!
We are looking for 20 people who will change the way we talk about soil.

👉 Who are we looking for?
• Young soil scientists (under 35) – from fields such as agronomy, pedology, soil biology, environmental protection and related disciplines 🌿
• Young media professionals (under 35) – journalists, podcasters, content creators, marketers and new media specialists 🎥

Together you will take part in a 40-hour online course (October–December 2026), working in pairs: scientist + media expert. You will learn from each other and create real communication materials: a short video or podcast + a social postcard.

🏆 The winning pairs will receive €2,500 each to cover travel, accommodation and meals for the final award ceremony and the SoilTribes Festival across Europe (February–May 2027).

👉 Why are we running this project?
The condition of soil directly affects food security, climate stability and our common future. Unfortunately, reliable scientific knowledge rarely reaches the public in an accessible form. The SoilTribes Crash Course aims to change that – we are building a bridge between laboratories and public awareness.

Become a Soil Ambassador and make a real impact on how we care for the soil!
Apply here → https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/CrashCourseSolitribesPolandERDN

The call is open until 31 May 2026

More info: https://erdn.eu/call-for-applications-soiltribes-become-a-soil-ambassador-international-crash-course-competition-for-young-soil-scientists-and-media-professionals/

04/05/2026

🎨 We warmly encourage you to like the project page Relict Soil - Expedition and Exhibition on social media (Facebook/Instagram) under SoilScape Project ☘️

🚲 Artists Sylwester Stabryła and Piotr Dawid Woroniec will be taking us on a year-long journey across different parts of Poland, engaging in creative, painting-based activities inspired by soil. It’s definitely worth following their work - this promises to be a truly fascinating expedition!

is one of the three winning projects of the Open Call "SoilScape Polish Soil Orchestra FSTP" with the finale taking place at the Soil Festival in June 2027 in the Mazovia region.

Polska Orkiestra Glebowa - Soilscape

30/04/2026

Social economy in a nutshell

❓ Do you know the difference between Social Innovation, Social Economy, and Social Enterprise?

🔄 These terms are often mixed up or used as synonyms, which leads to misunderstanding and confusion.

💡 Social Innovation refers to new or improved solutions (products, services, or models) that address unmet social needs more effectively, while fostering social change through collaborative, iterative processes involving communities and multiple stakeholders.

🌍 Social Economy represents a system of organisations (such as cooperatives, mutual societies, associations, and foundations) that carry out activities in the interest of members or society at large, prioritise people and social or environmental objectives over profit, reinvest most of their surplus, and apply democratic or participatory governance.

💼 Social Enterprise is an organisation that engages in stable economic activity (market-oriented), with an explicit social aim, and operates under governance and profit-distribution rules that ensure its social mission is safeguarded (e.g. participatory governance and limits on profit distribution).

🔎 More about this terms can be found in the D4.2 Multi-level analysis of social economy initiatives in rural areas, available on the ESIRA website: https://www.esira.eu/

Universidad de Burgos - UBU Sodebur Fundación Oxígeno Hétfa Kutatóintézet Magyar Református Szeretetszolgálat Institut za razvoj i inovacije European Rural Development Network EKVI Druskininkų Vietos Veiklos GRUPĖ Euricse Borghiin Cooperazione Trentina Østlandsforskning- Universitetet i Innlandet Euromontana Proyecto ESIRA

28/04/2026

SoilScape Festival 2026: A Journey Beneath the Surface! 🇵🇹

What an incredible few days in Porto! Between April 24 and 25, the ERDN team dived deep into the world of soil at the BioBlitz Festival organized by Serralves Foundation and the SoilScape activities during the festival. We also had the opportunity to see the traveling exhibition Soil Art Tales as part of the sister project .

Our Top Highlights:
🔹️ Harmonizing for a Cause: We kicked off the meeting with a musical session, where singing and dancing with Tingsha bells turned a group of colleagues into a motivated team dedicated to Mother Earth 🌏🎶

🔹️ Sensory Science: During the BioBlitz 2026 festival, we took part and experienced the extraordinary Cactophonie Workestra - a concert performed entirely on cacti conducted by the Portuguese artist João Ricardo de Barros Oliveira! We also joined Nikki Lindt for a soundwalk, where we "drew" the vibrations of sap flowing through trees and the hidden sounds of life near subterranean streams 🌵🌳🌊

🔹️ Innovation in Outreach: We explored the winning Open Call projects from Portugal and Germany, which presented creative models for soil education through theater, street performances, and youth-centric workshops ☘️

🔹️ Exploring the 18-Hectare Oasis: We spent hours traversing the stunning Serralves Park. Guided by Patrick Joel Pais, we explored rose gardens, aromatic herb paths, and the iconic treetop walk, learning about the rich biodiversity that depends on healthy soil 💻

🔹️ The Future of Education: Visiting workshop stands designed for children, we saw how interactive displays and eco-games from the French Hackathon are making soil science accessible and fun 👏

We leave Porto feeling inspired and connected. A huge "Obrigado" to the Portuguese team for the warm welcome and for showing us that we are not alone in our mission to bring health back to the land.

Polska Orkiestra Glebowa - Soilscape

23/04/2026

🌍 Earth Day in action – Mazovia Living Space 🌱

Yesterday, as part of the study visit, we had the pleasure of participating in a truly inspiring day full of meetings, discussions, and knowledge exchange.

Together with our partners, we visited key locations within the Mazovia Living Space – from the green campus of SGGW / Warsaw University of Life Sciences through the Municipality of Michałowice (Gmina Michałowice), to Warsaw and Wilanów. Each stop highlighted the diversity and complexity of land management challenges in a rapidly transforming region.

📍 A particularly important visit took place in Michałowice – a municipality actively working towards soil and environmental protection. We discussed:
• Zielony Pierścień Warszawy / One Ring Warsaw concept
• and SoilScape Project
• practical solutions such as CO₂ analysers
• visit to the ecological kindergarten in Reguly

💡 What stood out most was the innovative approach to communicating the importance of soil – including through art, education, and community engagement.

This day clearly showed how essential it is to connect science, policy, and local action to build a more sustainable future 🌿

A big thank you to all partners and participants for the inspiring exchanges and great atmosphere!

Huge thanks go to the Małgorzata Pachecka - wójt gminy Michałowice for the great hospitality in Michałowice and prof. Mariusz Maciejczak (SGGW) for the wonderful organization 💚

22/04/2026

Happy Earth Day! 🌍

At the European Rural Development Network (ERDN), we believe that a resilient planet starts with informed local action and solid research.

Did you know that 50% of all species in the EU rely on agricultural habitats? 🔬 Data shows that low-intensity farming supports 63 unique habitat types that are essential for European biodiversity. Our network of researchers works every day to analyze these ecosystems while monitoring the socio-economic shifts in rural areas.

By sharing knowledge across borders and scaling up nature-based solutions, we are doing more than just protecting the landscape—we are building our primary defense against natural risks. Let’s celebrate the science that helps both our rural communities and nature grow together. 🌿

Hope your Earth Day is full of fresh air and even fresher ideas!

17/04/2026

🌱⚡ From Biomass to Bioenergy: What We Learned at thERBN T&D Day organized by ERDN

Yesterday’s Therbn EU Project – Training & Demonstration Day brought together experts from advisory services, business, NGO and agricultural practice to explore how innovative technologies are transforming the European bioeconomy — from smarter biomass use to advanced renewable energy solutions.

The day began at the Poznań University of Life Sciences with an introduction to the thERBN project, whose mission is to promote innovative solutions in the field of sustainable bioeconomy within a circular model. This set the stage for a series of hands‑on demonstrations and knowledge‑sharing sessions.

Key highlights included:
▶️ a film and podcast showcasing the POWER MAIZE corn cob separator,
▶️an in‑depth technical and economic presentation of the technology by Dr. Dawid Wojcieszak (Katedra Inżynierii Biosystemów)
▶️an overview of the thERBN digital platform as a modern tool for knowledge transfer (Małgorzata Wydra, Instytut Uprawy Nawożenia i Gleboznawstwa - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy),
▶️a presentation of the VISION4FOOD project EU (Agnieszka Kurdyś-Kujawska)
▶️open discussion and networking over coffee.

The transition from biomass to bioenergy became especially tangible during the second part of the event at the Przybroda Biogas Plant, where Prof. Jacek Dach presented an installation for renewable energy production and storage — a strong example of Polish engineering and a practical response to local energy needs.

The event reinforced the importance of collaboration between advisory services and practice, showcasing technologies that genuinely support the development of a resilient and innovative European bioeconomy.

Thank you to all participants for your engagement, inspiring conversations, and for strengthening the thERBN collaboration network.

Sławomir Sioma, Kasia Gizińska & ERDN Team ☘️