International Mobilization for Concrete Solutions
This edition saw unprecedented participation and support, confirming the urgency and growing interest in the issues related to soil health.
Key Figures from the 2026 Edition:
- Over 500 participants gathered in Arles and 100 experts connected via live duplex from China (Shanghai), the United States (New York), and Brazil (São Paulo).
- Over 80 sessions (roundtables, conferences, keynotes, workshops, and pitches), led by more than 180 international speakers and 20 moderators.
- Presentation of 16 startups offering high-impact innovations, with the jury's "Coup de Cœur" (Special Recognition Award) awarded to Small Farm Cities Africa. This startup builds agricultural communities integrating ecological homes and agroforestry plots, aiming to limit deforestation and provide dignified livelihoods for local populations.
"With the World Living Soils Forum, our objective is to bring together at the same table those who produce, those who innovate, those who finance, and those who decide," declares Jean-Jacques Guiony, CEO of Moët Hennessy. "Our ambition goes beyond mere observations. It is about sharing what works and accelerating the transition on a large scale. Behind the question of soils lies much more than an environmental issue: it is the future of our industries, our territories, and our capacity to create sustainable value that is at stake."
Positioning Soil Regeneration at the Core of Strategies
The WLSF 2026 emerged as a catalytic event, positioning soil regeneration at the heart of economic, educational, and political strategies. The two days of conferences and exchanges highlighted four major imperatives for a sustainable future:First, activating systemic levers by developing innovative financing mechanisms, strengthening ambitious public policies, and making soil health education a central issue for future generations.
In parallel, deploying regenerative practices at scale by replicating proven agricultural and urban solutions and demonstrating their benefits for ecosystems, farmers, territories, and consumers.
The Forum also emphasized the importance of nature-based solutions, by fully integrating sustainable water management, biodiversity preservation, and territorial resilience enhancement into adaptation strategies.
Finally, culture, art, gastronomy, and broader civil society constitute essential levers to raise public awareness of the vital importance of soils and the quality of products derived from them.
Reinforced Private Sector Commitment
The Forum confirmed the growing commitment of companies to soil regeneration. The arrival of new partners demonstrates an increasing mobilization of the private sector alongside public, scientific, and agricultural actors to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable models.
The presence of Antoine Arnault also underscored LVMH's commitment to regenerative agriculture and ecosystem preservation. Since 2019, the Group has contributed to the preservation or restoration of 4.3 million hectares of natural habitats worldwide.
In anticipation of UNCCD's COP17, Monique Barbut, Minister for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, and International Negotiations on Climate and Nature, announced in Arles the creation of the French Hub for the Business for Land (B4L) initiative. This platform will leverage the World Living Soils Forum to unite, with the support of Entreprises pour l'Environnement (EPE), the Entreprises Engagées pour la Nature program, and the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB), the community of French businesses mobilized in favor of soil, land, and water resource preservation.
Conclusions
"This third edition of the WLSF was marked by even stronger mobilization and exceptionally rich discussions," declares Sandrine Sommer, Director of Sustainable Development at Moët Hennessy. "Soils are now recognized as vital capital and a solution for adapting to climate change. Together, let's continue to act, innovate, and collaborate for the longevity of our economy, the resilience of our planet, and for future generations."
"Regenerating our soils means regenerating the very foundations of our economy and our food. It is one of the pillars upon which the construction of a viable future rests. That is why we co-organize the World Living Soils Forum with Moët Hennessy to support regenerative agriculture as a real lever, rooted in territories and practices. This is an ecological challenge, but also an economic and food sovereignty issue," states Santiago Lefebvre, President and Founder of ChangeNOW.
Noémie Bauer, Global Chief Sustainability Officer at Pernod Ricard, adds: "This third edition of the World Living Soils Forum reinforces a shared conviction: solutions for regenerating soils already exist. They are concrete, proven, and pave the way for a profound transformation of our models. Together, it is now up to us to make them grow: amplify innovations, share knowledge, and build common benchmarks to fully measure their impact. It is a source of pride for Pernod Ricard to have joined the advisory board this year and to mobilize a leader in the spirits and champagne industry in this collective dynamic: to educate, raise awareness, unite energies, and establish clear standards to sustainably engage consumers around this essential issue."
Anita Wälz, Head of Sustainability, Nestlé Europe, explains: “At Nestlé, we see healthy soils as the foundation of a resilient food system, but scaling regenerative agriculture requires strong partnerships. That’s why we’re proud to be part of the World Living Soils Forum, which brings together key actors to accelerate collaboration and real solutions on the ground. Ultimately, regenerative agriculture must deliver tangible value for farmers and work at scale across the entire value chain.”
Jérôme Perez, Global Head of Sustainability, Nespresso, further commented: “We tend to overlook them because we don’t see them. Yet everything starts there. The health of our soils determines both the resilience of ecosystems and the quality of what we consume. At Nespresso, we have been supporting our partner coffee farmers for more than 20 years in adopting regenerative practices. Today, nearly 80% of our coffee comes from farms engaged in this approach, and we aim to reach close to 100% by 2030.
The World Living Soils Forum is essential, because no single actor can regenerate soils at scale on their own. As a B Corp, our role is clear: to actively contribute to this collective movement.”
Sylvain Lambert, Partner, Sustainability Leader PwC France & Maghreb, notes: "The issue of living soils is, far more than we realize, at the heart of economic challenges, and beyond that, it's an existential question for humanity. Our food, whatever it may be, depends massively on soil health. The balance between soils and subsoils, also essential for access to resources as vital as water or critical metals needed to enable the digital promise, will increasingly become a major issue. On these questions, the pooling of diverse knowledge – local, global… – is one of the keys to fostering innovation and shaping the future."
Leïla Phelouzat, Head of Social Engagement and Transformation, Groupe BPCE, concludes: "Acting together, as close as possible to the needs, is at the heart of Groupe BPCE's approach to making impact accessible to all in the face of transition challenges. The growing momentum of the World Living Soils Forum for this 3rd edition, bringing together in Arles, São Paulo, Shanghai, and New York a unique collective of stakeholders mobilized for soil health – farmers, scientists, businesses, investors – attests to a powerful dynamic in which we are fully engaged across all our banking, investment, and insurance businesses. All gathered to share expertise and co-construct concrete solutions to support the transition and strengthen the resilience of territories."
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