In order to determine the acceptance of measures to enhance the subsoil in agriculture, Ecologic Institute organised two stakeholder workshops in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) in March 2020. The first workshop took place on 2 March in Bad Sassendorf (near Soest) and the second on 3 March in Kleve. Both were part of the BonaRes project "Soil³ – Sustainable Subsoil Management", funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

The aim of the workshops was to discuss the prevailing opinions on measures of subsoil management with farmers and other soil experts. A central question was under which conditions the participants would implement or support these measures. For this purpose, the researchers used the Q-method combined with focus groups. The 31 participants included many farmers from both conventional and organic farms, as well as employees of the Chamber of Agriculture, agricultural subcontractors, agricultural consultants and scientists.

The knowledge gained during the workshop will serve as a basis for recommendations on how to implement efficient and socially acceptable measures to improve the subsoil in Germany. In the further course of the project, the participants may contribute further to the development of recommendations for action via additional workshops, field days or similar participation formats. This way, they can help shape attractive measures and attractive conditions for subsoil management.