Introduction to the

Ronald Vargas Amman, 17 June 2014

SOILS ARE IMPORTANT!

- Basis for the provision of food, fibre, fuel and medicinal products. - Stores and releases water, both for plant grow and water supply. - Greatest pool of soil organic carbon. - Regulates carbon, oxygen and plant nutrient cycles (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, etc). - Sustains biological activity, diversity and productivity. - Habitat for seeds dispersion and dissemination of the gene pool. - Central role in buffering, filtering and moderation of the hydrological cycle. - Platform for urban settlement and as material for construction.

Pillar Definition Availability Supply side of food security. Food is physically

available to people and depends on production, stocks and trade.

Access Refers to the capacity of individuals to purchase food. Is determined by incomes, markets and prices.

Utilization Ability of people to use or take advantage of food through a healthy diet. It is influenced by care and feeding practices, food preparation, dietary diversity and intra-household distribution.

Stability Time dimension, related to continuous access to food. Shortfalls in food availability are a sign of food insecurity.

FOOD SECURITY AND SOILS

Food security: “when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life” (FAO, 1996).

STATUS OF FOOD INSECURITY

Food insecurity –need to produce

more healthy food

CHALLENGES AHEAD

+60% Globally increase on food

production and also ecosystem services……..

Population growth

Further Pressure on

for

APPLICATION OF SOIL INFORMATION Yield Gap Assessment

Soils are always there, not like water that once scarce, it has serious implications for life! Why to invest on soils if there is no visible needs such as in a drought? Soils just need some fertilizer and they will produce enough food. There are vast extensions of soils that could be used for many uses.

GENERAL PERCEPTION ABOUT SOILS

“Because it is everywhere, we tend to overlook the fact that soil is a limited natural resource”.

GSP Endorsement, Vision and Structure

The Vision of the GSP is the improvement of the global governance of the limited soil resources of the planet in order to guarantee healthy and productive soils for a food secure world.

GSP was endorsed by FAO members during 23th COAG session and 145 FAO Council session.

Structure of the GSP

Partners

GLOBAL SOIL PARTNERSHIP

Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils

GSP Secretariat

Composed of

Guided/Advised by

Facilitated by

Through Regional Soil Partnerships

Plenary Assembly

GSP Pillars of Action

1. Promote sustainable management of soil resources and improved global governance for soil protection and sustainable productivity;

2. Encourage investment, technical cooperation, policy, education, awareness and extension in soils;

3. Promote targeted soil research and development focusing on identified gaps, priorities and synergies among economic/productive, environmental and social dimensions; 4. Enhance the quality and availability of soil data and information: collection, analysis, validation, reporting, monitoring, integration with other disciplines;

5. Harmonization of methods, measurements and indicators for the sustainable management and protection of soil resources.

Progress to date

FIRST GSP PLENARY ASSEMBLY

Approval of the Rules of Procedure of the GSP Establishment of the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils Request for the establishment of the Healthy Soils Trust Fund Request for the development and implementation of Plans of Action Establishment of Regional Soil Partnerships Request for updating the World Soil Charter

SECOND ITPS SESSION (7-11 April)

Development of a Soils Brief as contribution to the “Sustainable Development Goals and the Post 2015 process”. Agreed ToC and process for the production of the first version of the new and seminal “Report on Status of World Soil Resources (RWSR)”, planned for issuance in 2015; Endorsement of the draft version of the World Soil Chapter (adopted in 1981 by FAO Conference). Endorsement of the Pillars 1, 2, and 5 Plans of Action.

STATUS OF WORLD SOIL RESOURCES REPORT

• This will constitute the core product of the ITPS and will be produced in a regular basis (every 3-5 years) using the outputs to be generated by the implementation of the Plans of Action (for example SoilSTAT).

• First version to be prepared by ITPS and invited recognized soil scientists from all regions in the world.

• Regional chapters on the status of soil resources in the regions will be an added value of this report. ESP will be the right venue to discuss on how to produce this regional chapter.

• It will be launched on 5th December 2015 as the main product of IYS.

THE WORLD SOIL CHARTER

• Considering concerns related to food production and soil degradation which alerted that 20% of the land’s capacity in developing countries was going to be affected if no actions were taken.

• Conscious of this situation, the 21st Session of the FAO Conference (November 1981), adopted the World Soil Charter.

• The Charter establishes a set of principles for the optimum use of world’s soil resources, for the improvement of their productivity, and for their conservation for future generations.

SOILS AND THE SDGs

Way forward Pillar 1 Plan of Action

Definition of Sustainable Soil Management by GSP: “Management practices that protect soil and enhance its performance for the production of goods and provision of ecosystem services without degrading or impairing on- or off-site ecosystem functions.” Recommendation 4: Appropriate sustainable soil management practices and systems

should be identified for all land uses at regional and national levels using existing databases, adapted according to site characteristics and land user needs, and implemented at appropriate scales to restore and maintain soil functions and ecosystem services. Recommendation 5: Sustainable intensification of production should be supported by balanced soil fertility management using a range of available nutrients and appropriate physical management practices without causing negative environmental impacts. Recommendation 7: A global GSP system is needed to coordinate and monitor the promotion of sustainable soil management, implementation of specific activities aimed at addressing soil conservation, as well as soil restoration actions. This should be supported by the development of regional implementation plans, as well as the regional facilitation, coordination and monitoring of implementation.

PRINCIPLES FOR SUSTAINABLE SOIL MANAGEMENT

Way forward Pillar 4 Plan of Action

Global Soil Information System

Global grids of soil functional properties Global map of soil types Global soil profile database

Global Soil Monitoring System: SoilSTAT flexible design gradual implementation will fill the gap in the FAOSTAT

family

Synthesis, forecasting, interpretation and capacity development regular reports on “Status of World Soil Resources

Report” starting in 2015. supply of information to global reporting mechanisms diverse information products available online continuous capacity development programme

Way forward of Plans of Action

As per the Guidelines for Plans of Action of the Rules of Procedure.

Organization of International workshops

Establishment of global Working Groups

Preparation of Draft Plans of

Action Review and

endorsement by ITPS

Endorsement by Plenary Assembly

Implementation through Implementation Plans at

Regional levels

REGIONAL SOIL PARTNERSHIPS

• Pacific Soil Partnership will be established in September 2014. • Also, the North American Soil Partnership is under planning.

REGIONAL SOIL PARTNERSHIPS

• The setting up of RSPs have started in 2011 along the process of establishment of the GSP.

• Regional activities in NENA, LAC and Asia were funded in order to start the development and establishment of RSPs. The aim was to start with regional activities that could pave the path to functional RSPs.

• That experience was very helpful as it showed that RSPs are viable, though every region is very different and single model will not apply. However, guidelines for RSPs are much needed in order to guide regions on how the RSPs will work.

• At the next Plenary Assembly, Guidelines for RSPs will be submitted for consideration of GSP partners.

NENA Soil Partnership

• Launched in January 2012 through a project for developing the NENA Soil Information System Phase I (converting soil information for HWSD). The project consisted on capacity development and participation was very positive (although the challenging political situation in the region). Project activities will end in June 2014.

• Amman Communiqué was developed and the provisional Secretariat is at the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture.

• Apart from the project activities, the NENASP did not move much institutionally forward. Because of that, a regional Conference will be organized in June 2014 in Amman in order to re-launch the Partnership and institutionally strengthening.

Amman, Jordan 1-5 April 2012

HEALTHY SOILS MULTIPARTNER PLATFORM

PGM/MUL/2014-2017/GSP

• The Plenary Assembly of GSP on 13 June 2013 requested establishment of a financial facility under FAO's rules for financial allocations to approved activities and projects in a transparent manner;

• The GSP Secretariat took due action and established in March 2014 the Healthy Soil Trust Fund Facility and Multi-Partner Platform;

• The programme symbol provided to this Trust Funds is PGM/MUL/2014-2017/GSP with programmatic budget of USD64 mil and 5 years of implementation period;

CRUCIAL COMPONENTS OF THE PLATFORM

Soil Conservation and Soil

Restoration

Sustainable Soil Management

Soil Research, extension and

capacity development

Awareness raising, education

and policy dialogue

Strengthening national soil institutions

Soil information Systems and SoilSTAT

WORLD SOIL DAY AND INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF SOILS 2015

After two years of work by FAO-GSP Secretariat and Thailand, the 68th UNGA established and declared:

5 December as World Soil Day 2015 as International Year of Soils FAO will function as the IYS Secretariat.

2015

International Year of Soils 2015 “Healthy soils for a healthy life”

Join this Partnership and contribute to its implementation!