CA4SH at IUCN: Soil Health for Nature Conservation and Resilience
From 9-15 October 2025, leading experts and decisionmakers committed to the conservation of nature gathered in Dubai for the IUCN World Conservation Congress. This quadrennial event is a leading global platform where state and non-state actors come together to drive action on sustainable development and conservation. The experience, innovation and research sharing at the congress shapes the global agenda for years to come.
As part of the Congress programme, the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH), CIFOR-ICRAF, WWF International, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), IUCN, and UNCCD Youth Caucus co-hosted the thematic session “Soil Conservation for Nature Conservation and Resilience” exploring soil health as a nature-based solution for biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable land management.
The interactive discussion, moderated by Dr. Leigh Winowiecki (CIFOR-ICRAF and CA4SH), combined expert exchange with audience reflection. Speakers from IUCN, Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), and the UNCCD Youth Caucus shared perspectives on soil monitoring, inclusive financing, and policy innovation. Participants joined via live polls and open dialogue to co-develop actionable recommendations.
“Soil is the most biodiverse ecosystem in the world and the third largest carbon sink. It is central to food security, ecosystem restoration, and climate resilience. Healthy soil is a unifier, across stakeholders, sectors, and the Rio Conventions. We need stronger integration of soil health into NDCs, NBSAPs, and restoration targets, as well as greater investment and implementation. We must bend the curve on land degradation. Initiatives like CA4SH and #Youth4Soil are already linking youth and experts to build momentum.”
Science and Policy: Turning Data into Decisions
Facundo Odriozola (IUCN - Natural Resources Unit) presented the new EU Soil Monitoring Law and SOILGUARD project, highlighting how soil biodiversity indicators can bridge science and policy. The directive “creates a shared European language for soil health, where science, policy, and practice can speak to each other”. Its flexibility allows each country to adapt measures such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, and agroforestry to local contexts. “Living Labs and lighthouses act as real-world testing grounds that make the directive’s objectives tangible”, linking biodiversity indicators, digital tools, and farmer practices.
A proposed Soil Health Certification System, could “reward farmers who keep their soils healthy, opening doors to eco-labelling and sustainable product schemes”. Reflecting on implementation, he underlined that “no single sector can fix environmental problems alone; partnerships between science, policy, and farmers are the bridge that makes things happen”.
Transforming Decision-Making and Co-developing Solutions
Building on this, Carter Cheng (UNCCD Youth Caucus) noted that “the real challenge is not the lack of soil data, but that we lack the ability to translate data into something people can use”. She highlighted locally adapted systems that respond to farmers’ realities, citing how drone-based soil monitoring and data-linked advisory advisory services are transforming farm decision-making in Southeast Asia and China.
She identified three major gaps - the implementation gap, the representation gap, and the capacity gap - and suggested closing them through:
Mainstreaming soil literacy and storytelling via youth-led campaigns;
Youth-led monitoring and innovation pilots, including low-cost soil labs equipped with affordable sensors and dashboards;
Youth co-ownership of research and science, giving young researchers and engineers a direct role in evidence generation;
Incentives for youth entrepreneurship through impact investment and blended finance.
“We need a dual-engine model for soil innovation, where governments and research institutions drive fundamental research, while the private sector co-develops practical solutions for farmers. We must de-risk investment in soil innovation, so young people can access finance and scale their ideas”.
Youth as Active Partners and Intergenerational Learning
Joining live from a farm in Uganda, Tadeo Ajuna (YPARD Uganda) grounded the conversation in lived experience. “Restoration doesn’t happen from behind a desk”, he said. Young farmers in Uganda are producing biofertilizers, building awareness, and piloting new soil management practices, but “their efforts go often unnoticed”.
He highlighted the barriers youth face: limited finance, lack of mentorship, and exclusion from decision-making. “It’s unfair that young people are reduced to beneficiaries. We must be part of co-designing national soil policies”.
He called for intergenerational partnerships, greater youth participation in decision-making, and education reform so that soil science becomes central to agricultural training. His message captured participants: “No one can live without soil. All our lives depend on healthy soils, and every stakeholder has a role to play. Let each of us do our part, and together we will get where we want”.
Accelerating action for nature-positive, sustainable agriculture and food systems
In a milestone achievement for soil health, the Motion 002 on Accelerating action for nature-positive, sustainable agriculture and food systems was approved by the IUCN Congress. Now officially an IUCN resolution, the motion was led by CA4SH partners at the World Wildlife Fund, and supported by Office fédéral de l'environnement (Switzerland), the Environment and Conservation Organisations of New Zealand, Conservation International, Asociación Centro Científico Tropical, Fauna & Flora International, and Commonland.
In addition to several key calls to action, including positioning agri-food systems transformation as a solution to the climate crisis rather than a driver, Motion 002 has two specific entry points for soil in this agenda. The motion calls on the IUCN Council, Commission Chairs, and the Director General to:
“establish a Commission Expert Group on Soil Biodiversity and soils as a component of geodiversity to advance the understanding of the relationship between soil properties, including soil microbial communities, soil functions and ecosystem functions;”
And to
“pursue ambitious climate, biodiversity, soils-protection and land-degradation commitments, and to report on progress”
As many proponents of CA4SH know, soil is the foundation of food systems and is the largest terrestrial carbon sink, so we are excited to engage in all calls of the motion toward holistic, resilient food systems that are nature-positive and sustainable. Motion 002 readily reflects the CA4SH mandate of calling for multistakeholder action, targeted finance to drive on-the-ground-implementation, and an enabling policy environment to make this all happen.
Soil Security Law
Congress delegates also adopted Motion 007: Soil Security Law, a historic step toward elevating soil within global environmental governance through the adoption of Motion 007: Soil Security Law. It recognizes that healthy soil is central to food security, climate stability, biodiversity protection, and sustainable livelihoods, yet remains largely unprotected by international law.
The Motion calls for the development of concepts and parameters for a global legal instrument on soil security, urging collaboration across IUCN Commissions and Members to explore options for national, regional, and international frameworks that safeguard soils from degradation and promote sustainable agriculture. It also highlights the essential role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities as stewards of soil health and traditional food systems, and links soil security to the right to a healthy environment.
The Road to COP
Soil health must be positioned as a foundation for achieving the goals of the Rio Conventions and as a driver of equity. At the Congress, CA4SH partners called for open access to soil data, targeted financing for smallholder farmers, and recognition of land managers as active partners rather than passive beneficiaries.
A shared message resonated: unite science, policy, and practice through coordinated multi-stakeholder collaboration and invest in youth-led innovation to restore the ground beneath our feet.
As we gear up for COP30 (November 10-17 November in Belém, Brazil), CA4SH and partners will continue to elevate soil health in the global agenda through the COPSoil Initiative - a dedicated clearing-house of soil-related events, resources, and dialogues spanning the Rio Conventions and beyond.
