Caring for our Soils: Consulting stakeholders through practice, a soil-focused training in Țara Călatei

As part of our involvement in the Horizon Europe SPADES project, ALPA hosted a one-day stakeholder consultation embedded within a 4 day soil management training held in the bioregion of Țara Călatei (Kalotaszeg), Transylvania. Though framed as a technical session on soil restoration and agroecological practices, the event organically evolved into a meaningful consultation with 16 stakeholers: agroecological farmers and land managers, PHD students on agriculture, new-entrants in the rural landscape, experts in soil quality and regional actors confronting the dual crises of land degradation and rural abandonment.

The consultation focused on soil degradation, a critical issue affecting over 40% of Romania’s agricultural land, particularly in regions like Țara Călatei. Participants expressed concern over widespread erosion, nutrient loss, and compaction—often driven by industrial shepherding and farmland misuse. Farmers reported visible impacts: reduced yields, poor water retention, and declining pasture quality and the overall erosion of the cultivated and natural biodiversity.

Discussions highlighted the following proposals and priorities:

Agroecological soil regeneration: A strong consensus emerged around the need to adopt nature-based agroecological solutions and that these should be incentivised through future strategy plans around the EU Common Agricultural Policy. Cover cropping, compost application, and agroforestry were identified as practical, low-cost solutions suitable for small-scale farmers – the reality and social fabric of our bioregion. Farmers stressed the need for training and demonstration plots to support adoption.

Land banking and access mechanisms: Stakeholders voiced interest in land banking models to counter land speculation and abandonment. Several participants supported the idea of a bioregional land trust that could secure land for agroecological users and ensure long-term stewardship. It was also desirable to involve local authorities in the process, the ones having most spatial knowledge over soil and land distribution.

Zoning and protection from industrial shepherding and land speculation: The group proposed local zoning regulations to curb overgrazing, particularly on vulnerable hilltop pastures. The importance of commoners organisations in administering community pastures was also highlighted. Such regulatory and organisational tools, they argued, must be accompanied by enforcement mechanisms and community buy-in, where possible.

Soil monitoring and knowledge exchange: Participants emphasized the lack of data and capacity to track soil health. They proposed community-based monitoring, farmer-to-farmer training, and partnerships with local universities to create a participatory knowledge base for soil restoration.

Restoring Abandoned Farmland: There was broad agreement on prioritizing the ecological rehabilitation of abandoned lands through incentives for new-entrant regenerative farmers and soil-building practices. This was linked to a call for support for young farmers wishing to settle in the area.

This consultation offered rich qualitative insights and demonstrated that stakeholder engagement is most effective when embedded in practical, hands-on contexts like a more complex soil training that successfully brought together knowledge and interest. It reaffirmed the region’s urgent need is for an integrated land stewardship strategy rooted in local participation, agroecological renewal, and fair access to land.