Tittle of the project: Soil biodiversity enhancement in European agroecosystems to promote their stability and resilience by external inputs reduction and crop performance increase – SoildiverAgro. (H2020 project 817819)

Project Coordinator: David Fernández Calviño, University of Vigo

Stakeholder engagement responsible: Tamara Rodríguez Silva, FEUGA

About SoildiverAgro project: The aim of SoildiverAgro project is to adopt new management practices and cropping systems that enhance soil genetic and functional biodiversity to reduce the use of external inputs while increasing crop production and quality, the delivery of ecosystem services and the EU agricultural stability and resilience.


Purpose of your participation: You are invited to participate in our study to identify farmers across Europe that perform sustainable soil management to enhance soil biodiversity and assess the motivations for it and the benefits they are obtaining, and also farmers who do not implement this strategy but would be interested in getting informed to adopt it. The idea is to put in contact through seminars, if explicitly authorized, farmers to share experiences and facilitate knowledge exchange with regard to soil biodiversity and the link with production and ecosystem services. We will contact you to invite you to several activities.

Time involvement: This research study may take up to approximately five years after your participation.

Risks and  benefits:  The  risks  associated  with  this  study  are  none.  We cannot  and  do not  guarantee  or  promise  that  you  will  receive  any  benefits  from  this  study.  Your decision  whether  or  not  to  participate  in  this  study  will  not  affect  your  participation  in  other SoildiverAgro events and activities.

Payment: You will not receive any reimbursement as payment for your participation.  

Rights: Your participation  is  voluntary  and  you  have  the  right  to  refuse  to  participate  and   to   withdraw   your   participation or   data   at   any   time   without   any   consequences.  You have  the  right  to  refuse  to answer  particular  questions.  Your name and  contact  data  will  be  always  retained  confidential,  will  never  be  made  public,  findable or accessible, and you will never be identified or linked to the samples or data. You will  be  always  the  owner  of  data  and  samples  collected.  

Use of data/samples: The materials and data collected will become part of studies that may be presented  at  scientific  or  professional  meetings  or  published  in  scientific  or  professional  journals  for  communication  and  dissemination  purposes  of  SoildiverAgro  project.  Personal Data shall  be  processed  only  for  those  administrative,  operational,  accounting,  research  and  monitoring  purposes  that  are  necessary  for  the  safe  and  reliable  implementation  of  SoildiverAgro,  without  prejudice  to  the  individual  rights  under the relevant laws.  

Data storage, protection, retention and destruction: Data will be stored securely on private personal hard drives with access key and the private institutional SoildiverAgro DPV to prevent breaches of confidentiality during the period of the project and beyond the lifetime of this project. The University of Vigo protects the DPV from viruses and data piracy  and  makes  periodic  back-ups.  In the event  of  the  unlikely  incidental  findings,  you  will  be  communicated  to  decide  if  you  aim  to  withdraw  your  data. By default, Personal Data shall be destroyed  after  a  period  of  36  months  after  the  finalisation  of  the  SoildiverAgro  project.

Contact information:  If  you  have  any  questions,  concerns  or  complaints  about  this  research,  its  procedures,  risks  and  benefits,  contact  the  Project  Coordinator  (Dr.  David Fernández Calviño; davidfc@uvigo.es; +34 988 36 8888).  

Independent contact:  If  you  are  not  satisfied  with  how  this  study  is  being  conducted,  or if you have any concerns, complaints, or general questions about the research or your rights  as  a  participant,  please  contact  Mr  Anxo  Moreira,  Universidade  de  Vigo  (otri9@uvigo.es,  +34  986  81  2236)  to  speak  to  someone  independent  of  the  research  team.Data   Protection   Officer:   Dr.   Ana   Garriga   Domínguez  (University   of   Vigo):   dpd@uvigo.es; +34 988 36 8834.