Global Symposium on Soil Compaction

Aarhus (Denmark), Hybrid Event, 21/09/2026 - 23/09/2026

©FAO / Matteo Sala

Soil compaction is a major and growing driver of land degradation worldwide, affecting agricultural, forest, and grazing ecosystems. Soil compaction, as a key soil threat, is primarily linked to intensive agricultural traffic, forest harvesting, livestock trampling and industrial activities. These pressures are often worsened by inadequate soil-moisture management, unsustainable land-use practices, and the growing size and weight of agricultural machinery. Soil compaction negatively impacts cropland, grasslands, rangelands and forestland, and it leads to detrimental effects on plant growth, crop and fodder yields and reduces ecosystem goods and services.

The extent of these impacts, and the rate at which soil functions could be recovered, depend on the degree of compaction and the interaction of multiple soil and management factors. Despite advances in science and technology, significant gaps remain in the development, transfer, and harmonization of knowledge across research, farm and pasture management, and policymaking.

Addressing these gaps is the focus of the Global Symposium on Soil Compaction, co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and its Global Soil Partnership (GSP) and Aarhus University, The Symposium will be held in Aarhus, Denmark from 21–23 September 2026 and participation is free of charge.

Opportunity for travel grants

The deadline for this opportunity has passed.

Aim and objectives

The objective of the symposium is to advance global understanding, research collaboration, and policy development around soil compaction, its impacts, assessment and mitigation. Through multidisciplinary dialogue, the symposium aims to bridge scientific knowledge, technological innovation, policy and practical application to promote sustainable soil management. Specifically, the objectives of this Symposium are to:

Discuss advanced scientific understanding of soil compaction and its impacts on soil functions, crop, grassland and rangelands’ performance, ecosystems goods and services, and climate;
Exchange knowledge on innovative methods, tools, and practices for assessing, preventing, and mitigating soil compaction across different land uses;
Support dialogue on policy frameworks, regulatory approaches, and harmonized monitoring systems for evidence-based soil protection; and
Identify socio-economic barriers and opportunities for adopting sustainable soil management practices, and to foster collaboration and cross-sector partnerships.

The outcomes of the symposium are expected to directly inform the development of actionable recommendations, technical briefs, and guidance for countries and stakeholders, and will contribute to FAO’s normative work and global soil and agricultural land management and restoration initiatives.

Main themes

The Symposium will bring science and policy together to review the status and challenges of soil compaction. It will be divided into five main themes:

	Theme 1: Effects on cropland and pastureland sustainable production and ecosystem functioning. This theme addresses how the negative alteration of soil structure caused by soil compaction disrupts fluid transport (air and water) through the pore network, restricts root development, reduces crop performance (resilience and productivity) and nutrient use efficiency, reduces soil biodiversity, and generates environmental consequences that undermine ecosystem services.
	Theme 2: Machinery–soil interactions and impact of livestock on compaction. This theme addresses how the interaction between machinery characteristics (e.g., increasing machinery size, axle loads and tyre pressures) and soil properties contributes to soil compaction, while also considering the effects of livestock trampling in grassland systems (e.g., high stocking rates, wet conditions or prolonged grazing).
	Theme 3: Assessment, monitoring, and data harmonization. This theme addresses the different methods for assessing soil compaction and structural changes, as well as approaches to monitoring it and how to harmonize the collected data. This theme intends to cover the use of advanced techniques and traditional lab and field methods, as well as data collection and harmonization to discuss the establishment of national or regional databases on soil compaction, data standardization and reporting mechanisms, and the challenges of global data integration.
	Theme 4: Prevention and mitigation strategies and risk assessment. This theme addresses practices and strategies that prevent and mitigate soil compaction across diverse agroecosystems. The theme intends to cover subtopics such biological approaches, mechanical strategies, management systems, and decision support tools and models that integrate information on soil type, climate and machinery traffic to help predict areas at high risk of compaction.
	Theme 5: Barriers and solutions to the adoption of soil compaction prevention and mitigation measures. This theme addresses the enabling environment (policies, incentives, knowledge and institutional factors) that support the effective prevention and mitigation of soil compaction. Therefore, the theme aims to explore how socioeconomical barriers, perceptions and knowledge may play a critical role in shaping management decisions. Regarding policy support and barriers, the theme aims to assess the support of policies and regional frameworks for the adoption of prevention and mitigation strategies for soil compaction.

For a full description of the themes, please refer to the Concept Note

Call for abstracts

The deadline for the call has now passed.

Participation

The conference will draw from a diverse group of researchers, policymakers, representatives of international organizations, civil society, development practitioners, and the private sector. Participation in the event is free of charge for both in-person and online attendees. Registration will be conducted through the FAO website, where participants will be able to complete the online registration form and access updated event information.