10 Years of Soil4Climate - a CA4SH Founding Member
By Seth Itzkan, Director, Cofounder, Soil4Climate Inc.
This past January marked ten years since Soil4Climate was officially incorporated in the United States — the beginning of our journey to champion soil restoration as a powerful climate solution.
One of the great highlights of this journey has been becoming a founding partner of the Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH), which was launched during the United Nations Food Systems Summit of 2021. Since then, CA4SH has grown into a leading voice advocating for soil health to be placed at the centre of global conversations on climate action and food security.
As our name implies, Soil4Climate lies at the interface of soil health and climate change mitigation. We stand with all organisations that advance awareness of either of these fields, while also having a special affinity with organisations like CA4SH that bridge both.
Community
In June of 2015, Soil4Climate created a Facebook group to serve as a hub for education and advocacy which is today possibly one of the largest and most active communities of its type. Composed of academics, producers, policy heroes, and lay persons, it is home to nearly 36,000 members contributing greater than 200 posts and 800 comments per month. It is focused like a laser on soil health science, policy, and practice with connections regularly made to climate change mitigation.
Science
On the science front, Soil4Climate is proud to host an annotated compendium of peer-reviewed papers on the soil and climate benefits of well-managed grazing. Titled Hope Below Our Feet, the compendium is a free public resource. It presents the leading research on how livestock can be invaluable allies in our quest to restore soil, while bringing food and climate security to large parts of the world.
Outside the Food Systems Pavilion at COP28 in Dubai, 2023. Left to right are: Michael Victor, ILRI, Leigh Winowiecki, CA4SH / CGIAR, Hunter Lovins, Natural Capitalism Solutions / NOW Partners, Éliane Ubalijoro, CIFOR-ICRAF, Seth Itzkan, Soil4Climate
Practice
Soil4Climate’s East Africa Engagement efforts are helping projects in multiple countries advance their goals for soil recovery, economic wellbeing, and food security. They will be doing this while using accessible practices such as agroforestry and regenerative grazing. In Kenya and Tanzania for example, Soil4Climate is working with village leaders on a Maasai Lands Restoration project. This will expand training in Holistic Management to assure that the Maasai’s most valuable asset, their cattle, remain an invaluable resource for soil, food, and wealth.
Maasai villagers with a banner for the Maasai Lands Restoration Project for food, water, and climate security, a joint effort of Soil4Climate and the Maasai Center for Regenerative Pastoralism. Photo by Seth J. Itzkan
Policy
Soil4Climate is also honored to be a friend of the Global Alliance for Rangelands and Pastoralists which promotes the UN-declared 2026 International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP). This initiative brings attention to the role of pastoralism for environmental conservation and food security. Its working group on Climate Change and Pastoralism recognizes the climate benefits made possible through pastoral systems and calls for policy to reflect that.
“GHG assessments must recognise the full ecological role of pastoral systems — including contributions to soil health, biodiversity, long-term carbon storage and avoided emissions through maintained ecosystem functions” - IYRP, Climate Change and Pastoralism Working Group
Training in Holistic Management at a Maasai village in Kajiado District, Kenya. Training support provided by Soil4Climate. Photo by Seth J. Itzkan
Ten years and running into this effort, I can say with confidence that being an advocate for soil restoration as a climate solution has been one of the most rewarding adventures I could have imagined. The people and organisations it introduced me to are all extraordinary — CA4SH, of course, being key among them.
Since its meteoric rise, CA4SH has grown as a leading force in soil health advocacy and has launched its own initiatives in education, monitoring, and engagement. This is particularly prevalent in East Africa where Soil4Climate is also active. Sample CA4SH efforts that Soil4Climate feels a particular affinity with are its soil testing and reporting efforts and its recent push to bring young people into the fold with the inspiring campaign, #Youth4Soil. Few things can be more important than elevating youth to be land stewards.
Now, let’s have another ten years!
About the Author
Seth Itzkan is the cofounder of Soil4Climate, an international nongovernmental organisation advancing the science, policy and practice of soil restoration as a climate solution. Seth advocates for regenerative grazing as an essential ally for food security, soil restoration, and carbon sequestration in grasslands.
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