GroundWork restores Europe’s soil by promoting regenerative livestock grazing.

A Horizon Europe project advancing regenerative grazing systems across five Living Labs

Why GroundWork

Healthy soils are the foundation of resilient food systems. Yet, decades of intensive livestock farming and unsustainable practices have degraded much of Europe’s land, threatening both the environment and long-term agricultural productivity.

GroundWork works to reverse this trend through Regenerative Livestock Grazing Practices (RLGPs) that restore soil health, reduce environmental impact, and enhance climate resilience. By combining science, local knowledge, and practical experience, GroundWork co-creates solutions that work with nature and for farmers, driving a systemic transition toward regenerative agriculture across Europe.

Five Living Labs, One Regenerative vision

Through five Living Labs across Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, and Serbia, GroundWork collaborates with farmers, advisors, and local communities to co-design, test, and adapt regenerative grazing systems to both conventional and organic farms in diverse climates and landscapes.

These Living labs act as open network spaces for innovation, learning, and demonstration, ensuring that hands-on experience and regional farming realities guide every step of the transition towards sustainable livestock systems.

Explore the Living Labs

How GroundWork works

GroundWork implements a comprehensive 3-year program, co-developed with farmers, to transform farms into resilient, regenerative ecosystems through adaptive livestock management.

Through a combination of training, mentoring, and financial support (FSTP), the programme helps farmers implement and test regenerative grazing systems directly on their land.

Benefits for farmers

Access to expertise
scientific and technical support from research partners.
Learn by doing
ands-on learning in collaboration with Living Labs.
Financial backing
support to reduce risk adoption and accelerate transformation.

Contributing to the EU Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”

GroundWork directly supports the EU Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”, through four key Mission Soil Specific Objectives that guide all Living Labs activities:

Reduce soil degradation and improve soil health.

Enhance soil biodiversity and related ecosystem services.

Increase soil carbon stocks through regenerative land management.

Promote soil literacy and stakeholder engagement to foster long-term change.

All four objectives are addressed across the five Living Labs, ensuring a consistent and holistic approach to soil regeneration in diverse European contexts.

GroundWork’s core pillars

Regenerative Grazing Practices

Developing and testing adaptive, rotational and mixed-grazing systems that enhance soil structure and fertility, water retention and carbon storage while maintaining productivity.

Soil Health and Biodiversity

Restoring soil organic matter, supporting microbial life and boosting biodiversity above and below ground.

Co-creation and Learning

Engaging farmers, researchers and policymakers in continuous knowledge exchange, capacity-building and participatory monitoring.

Scaling and Policy Support

Creating financial incentives and policy frameworks that reward regenerative outcomes and enable wider adoption across Europe.

Partners

Watch how GroundWork is transforming livestock farming and restoring soils across Europe.

The regenerative gazette

GroundWork builds on a wide network of European and international partners contributing knowledge, tools and best practices for regenerative agriculture and soil health.