NextGenBioPest Joined Forces with MultiSoil!

Two Horizon Europe projects unite to bridge soil health and next-generation pest management for more resilient, chemical-free farming systems

NextGenBioPest and MultiSoil, two Horizon Europe-funded research projects working at the frontier of sustainable agriculture, are pleased to announce the establishment of a formal synergy to jointly advance the transition towards healthier, more biodiverse, and less chemical-dependent farming systems across Europe.

About the Synergy

NextGenBioPest and MultiSoil share a common ambition: to reduce the reliance on synthetic chemical inputs in European agriculture and to provide farmers with practical, science-backed, nature-based alternatives. While each project approaches this challenge from a distinct angle, their complementary expertise creates a powerful and natural basis for collaboration.

NextGenBioPest focuses on the development of innovative, eco-friendly crop protection solutions — from biological control agents and RNA-based pesticides to green chemicals and AI-powered pest diagnostics — targeting the most difficult-to-manage pests and pathogens in fruit and vegetable crops. MultiSoil, meanwhile, addresses the foundations of agricultural resilience from the ground up: restoring soil health, enhancing soil biodiversity, and supporting Integrated Pest Management (IPM) through nature-based soil practices across six European pedoclimatic zones.

Together, the two projects recognise that healthy soils and effective biological pest management are two sides of the same sustainable agriculture coin. Thriving soil biodiversity supports the natural enemies and ecological processes that biological control depends on; effective IPM strategies, in turn, reduce the chemical pressures that degrade soil health. This synergy formalises that connection and opens the door to joint knowledge exchange, cross-dissemination, and coordinated outreach to farmers, policymakers, and the wider agricultural community.

About MultiSoil

MultiSoil is a Horizon Europe Innovation Action that started in September 2025 and will run until February 2030. The project supports the EU Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe" by co-creating, testing, and demonstrating agricultural practices that improve soil health, enhance biodiversity, and reduce chemical use. MultiSoil envisions farming systems where healthy soils and thriving biodiversity form the backbone of sustainable agriculture in Europe. The project is coordinated by LUKE (Natural Resources Institute Finland) and involves 15 partners across Europe.