Earth Observation is creating new possibilities for mapping and monitoring soil health, yet the value of these products depends on how well they respond to the needs of the people who manage, advise on, regulate, or make decisions about soils. This potential will expand further with the advent of the Copernicus Sentinel Expansion missions CHIME and LSTM. CHIME will provide hyperspectral observations across the VIS–NIR–SWIR domain, while LSTM will add thermal infrared information related to land surface temperature and emissivity. Their synergistic use is expected to broaden the range and quality of EO-derived soil health information, including indicators linked to soil organic carbon, texture, moisture, mineralogy, degradation risk, and sustainable land management.

At the same time, more advanced EO products do not automatically lead to better uptake. In agricultural landscapes, soil information is interpreted through local knowledge, advisory networks, policy requirements, certification schemes, farm constraints, and trust in the data source. NextSoils+ addresses this challenge by placing stakeholder engagement and co-creation at the centre of EO-based service development.

The project brings together farmers, agronomists, cooperatives, regional authorities, researchers, certification bodies, NGOs, and policy actors across Mediterranean pilot regions. Engagement activities include stakeholder identification, power–interest mapping, influence mapping, targeted consultations, interactive meetings, and structured feedback. These activities help clarify which soil-related decisions matter most to different actors, what information is useful in practice, and how EO-derived indicators should be communicated to support interpretation and uptake.

Early service outputs, such as soil organic carbon maps, digital interfaces, and indicator-based visual products, are used as shared reference points for dialogue. They allow stakeholders and technical teams to discuss local relevance, usability, uncertainty, trust, and integration into existing farming, advisory, certification, or reporting workflows.

By linking the emerging capabilities of CHIME and LSTM with iterative stakeholder engagement, NextSoils+ contributes practical insights into how EO-based soil health products can evolve into services that are scientifically robust, understandable, and relevant for real soil management contexts.