Knowledge Product: How Healthy Soil Aligns the Rio Conventions and the SDGs

Background

Healthy soil provides critical ecosystem services, such as regulating drought and floods, provisioning habitats, storing carbon, and providing food and nutrition security. These and other benefits are the main priorities of the three Rio Conventions: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Scaling healthy soil can help Member States meet national priorities and align the implementation and monitoring of key reporting mechanisms under these policy frameworks.

This knowledge product, co-developed by CA4SH and partners ahead of UNCCD COP17, presents the evidence based on how soil health aligns the objectives and potential for achievement of the SDGs and the Rio Conventions.

CA4SH is inviting members to engage by:

• Strengthening the evidence base

• Identifying status of soil in key policy mechanisms and entry points

• Refine key messages

• Align with Rio Conventions priorities

How to Contribute

Please submit:

• Written inputs

• Case studies

• Data or evidence on soil health co-benefits across the three Rio Conventions

• Status of soil in key policy mechanisms

• Suggested key messages

Timeline

• Deadline for contributions: 15 July 2026

• Launch: UNCCD COP17

Contact

For access to the latest draft or to contribute, please contact:

Dr Leigh Winowiecki
Co-Lead, CA4SH
L.A.Winowiecki@cifor-icraf.org

Daniela Solis
Coordination & Events Lead, CA4SH
coordination@coalitionforsoilhealth.org