2023 In Review: CA4SH Launches its Inaugural Annual Report

For the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH), 2023 was marked by continual learning and exponential growth. From our roots in the UN Food Systems Summit, and being anchored in the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, we’ve grown into a multistakeholder Coalition of over 170 members (to date) who are dedicated to walking the walk for soil health.

To celebrate how far we’ve come since our launch in September 2021, we embarked on our most ambitious reflection exercise to date, culminating in the inaugural CA4SH Annual Report.

CA4SH members can be found on every continent but Antarctica, and represent NGOs and farmer organizations (almost half of our membership!), research and academia, UN entities, the private sector, government, and more. By leveraging the wealth of experiences and expertise across our membership, we had an undeniable presence in multinational fora in 2023. By providing text through our flagship initiative, the Soil Health Resolution, and partnering with Member States, we contributed to the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action. This is the first time soil has been officially included in the climate declarations from UNFCCC and a major milestone for the global community and the Coalition.

Also this year, CA4SH brought members together through quarterly partner meetings, establishing the Soil Health Steering Committee, engagement and communications, and through four thematic working groups.

With our feet firmly planted on the ground, CA4SH is looking forward to upcoming engagements, with a focus on implementation and resource mobilization.

We have the collective momentum to drive soil health through evidence-based actions and policy advocacy, and we are excited to expand our membership, scale our reach, and continue to scale soil health globally in 2024 and beyond.

Thank you for a fantastic year and your continued support!

“We see soil as a unifier, bringing together actors from across sectors and across the globe, to truly tackle the global challenges facing society and the planet. There is still much that needs to be done, and which can only be tackled by committed individuals and organizations, like the ones we are proud to call members of CA4SH.”

— Dr Leigh Winowiecki, Co-Lead of CA4SH & Soil and Land Health Global Research Lead, CIFOR-ICRAF

News Stories from 2023 CA4SH Events

• Urging Enhanced Integration of Soil Health in NDCs at COP28

• A Call for Global Action for Soil Health on World Soil Day

• The new Soil Health Steering Committee jumpstarted action for soil in two October meetings

• Multi-stakeholder actors convened at the Borlaug International Dialogue to discuss the link between soil health and global food security

• Africa’s Journey Towards Soil Sustainability

• CA4SH at AGRF 2023: Revitalizing Africa’s food systems requires collective action and a clear vision for soil health

• CA4SH at the 2023 World Water Week: Innovative solutions for promoting healthy rangelands under a changing climate

• SNV and CA4SH call for sustainable farming practices at UNFSS Stocktaking Moment+2

• Food systems coalitions and stakeholders convened at the UNFSS STM+2 in the name of agroecology, soil, food waste, and healthy diets

• Bonn Policy Dialogue Luncheon: Building a Road Map for Soil Health in the Climate Change Agenda

• The Netherlands Food Partnership looked at contextualizing the Soil Health Resolution in a May Meeting

• CA4SH at the AIM for Climate Summit: Scaling healthy soil practices globally through innovative partnerships, financing and policy

• CA4SH joins expert panel at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture