At the annual Festival della Scienza in Genoa, held from 22 October to 1 November 2026, SOILL-Stepup took center stage through its partner CREA (Council for Agricultural Research and Economics) with an interactive hands-on workshop titled "Under the Ground, on the Plate: Discovering the Roots of Food" (In Italian: Sotto terra, sopra il piatto – Alla scoperta delle radici del cibo).
The workshop engaged families, students, and science enthusiasts in exploring how the unseen ecosystem beneath our feet directly shapes human nutrition, environmental resilience, and the future of sustainable agriculture.
The Ground Beneath Our Food Systems
Soil is far more than dirt: it serves as a frontline defense against hydrogeological risks such as soil erosion, landslides, and flooding, while serving as the primary foundation for the global food supply. CREA researchers guided participants through how healthy soils sustain the growth of essential dietary staples, including fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
Visitors discovered that preserving soil structure and moisture balance is not only vital for climate adaptation and flood prevention, but also directly dictates the nutrient density of the crops harvested for our plates.
Nature’s Underground Nitrogen Factories
A major highlight of the laboratory focused on the extraordinary ecological role played by legumes (such as beans, peas, and lentils). Rather than relying on energy-intensive synthetic fertilizers, legumes partner with beneficial microorganisms living in the subterranean world:
- Microbial Partnerships: Legume root nodules house specialized soil microbes that capture inert nitrogen gas from the air pockets within soil pores.
- Natural Mineral Nutrition: These microorganisms convert atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable mineral compounds that naturally feed the plant and enhance the surrounding soil fertility.
- Slashing Chemical Dependencies: By leveraging biological nitrogen fixation, farmers can drastically cut the need for synthetic chemical fertilizers, minimizing agricultural runoff and groundwater contamination.
Healthy Soil, Healthy People
The interactive laboratory illustrated that safeguarding biodiversity within the soil matrix is a prerequisite for long-term food security. When soils maintain a thriving microbial ecosystem and rich organic matter, plant roots can efficiently absorb the micronutrients and minerals necessary for human health. Through tactile demonstrations and microscopic exploration, CREA emphasised that the health of the planet and the nutritional quality of human diets are inextricably linked to the vitality of the subterranean world.
Advancing the EU Mission Soil
CREA’s outreach at the Genoa Science Festival reflects the core mission of SOILL-Stepup, an EU-funded initiative supporting the Horizon Europe Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe". By bringing research out of the laboratory and directly to civil society, SOILL-Stepup and the network of Soil Living Labs work to bridge the gap between soil scientists, land managers, and the public, empowering the next generation to value, protect, and restore living soils.