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Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration is a key function of natural and semi-natural ecosystems. Restoring this property in terrestrial ecosystems has become central to the EU's climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. However, SOC sequestration is a widely misunderstood concept. The different methodological approaches used to investigate and compare SOC stock under sustainable agricultural practices play a key role in reinforcing misconceptions about this complex process. This commentary paper aimed not only to provide a clear definition of SOC sequestration, but also to interpret the results that can be obtained for SOC stock change estimation using the SOC stock difference and the paired comparison methods, as well as to identify the soil carbon-related processes that achieve climate mitigation. SOC sequestration can be defined as the progressive increase in a site's SOC stock compared with pre-intervention via a net depletion and transfer of atmospheric CO2 into the soil, where it is retained as soil organic matter (SOM), by plants, plant residues, or other organic solids such as the material derived from the organic fraction of farming solid waste, which can be used as a fertilizer (e.g., manure, compost, biochar, and digestate), and that is produced or derived from that land unit. To date, the most appropriate way to determine whether a land unit's soil is a sink or rather a source of atmospheric CO2 is to implement the SOC stock difference method, provided the non-occurrence of carbon exchange between ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU food chain is at present highly carbon and water intensive. A significant contribution to reducing carbon emissions and pressure on water resources resulting from overuse might come from the adoption of a more sustainable and healthier diet. While people are generally aware that the food they eat is an important factor affecting their health, however, the impact that food production and consumption has on the world's resources is less known. There is therefore a need to build methods and tools that create awareness among the population about the potential savings of the resources that sustainable and healthy diets can bring, and stimulate the population to adopt such diets. The EU project SU-EATABLE LIFE aims at i) developing guidelines that define a sustainable and healthy diet, ii) carrying out a wide range of initiatives aimed at increasing awareness and education on food-related issues by citizens/customers and iii) implementing an easy-to-use information system that enables citizens to adopt such a diet. The long-term objective is to contribute to reducing GHG emissions and achieving water savings in the EU via citizen education and active engagement.