Innovative Research Approaches & Practices towards Sustainable Land Management, Preservation & Restoration

Sustainable Land Management (SLM) is vital for soil health, biodiversity, and resilience. Climate change and human activity both accelerate land degradation, prompting urgent action according to the IPCC Climate Change Report (2023). The Mission Board for Soil Health and Food and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) reveal that 60-70% of EU soils are unhealthy. Global climate change and land degradation may displace 700 million people by the year 2050, highlighting the need for safeguarding land for Nature's Contributions to People (NCPs); this need for safeguarding is further emphasized by the support for SLM of both global and European initiatives. The concept of "One Health" relates soil health to ecosystems and human health, while the seventeen SDGs of the 2030 Agenda integrate different land aspects. Land is central to research and innovation in the EU, as is the green-digital transition. The EU Soil Strategy for 2030, the upcoming Soil Health Law, and the EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) underpin strategies like the Farm to Fork Strategy, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Climate Adaptation Strategy, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Forest Strategy, the Organic Action Plan, the New Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the Circular Economy Action Plan, all of which are integral to the European Green Deal. This Special Issue aims to provide a unique reference point that explores innovative methodologies, case studies, and reviews, examining diverse sustainable land management concepts.