When the EU determines which assets are strategic, it tends to focus on those where a rival already dominates production (or could one day). That is why we hear so much about semiconductors, batteries, rare earths and hydrogen. But we almost never hear about an EU asset that cannot be replicated elsewhere: Europe’s soil. Often regarded as part of the landscape, soil is, in fact, vital infrastructure. It is the foundation of our food systems, producing 95 percent of the food the world consumes. M
