At the twenty-third session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 23) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in Panama City, Panama, young people from around the world gathered to explore how land, food systems, and climate resilience are deeply interconnected. Among the highlights was a keynote conversation with Dr. Barron Joseph Orr, Chief Scientist of the UNCCD, whose work has shaped global understanding of land degradation, drought resilience, and sustainable land management. 

At the twenty-third session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 23) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in Panama City, Panama, the side event “Youth Policy Pathways for Land and Food: Advancing Action on Land Degradation Neutrality” brought together young people, technical experts, and partners to explore the interlinkages between food systems and land, and how youth perspectives can help shape more coherent, inclusive, and actionable approaches to Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). The session was co-hosted by the UNCCD Youth Caucus, World Food Forum (WFF) Global Youth Action Initiative, and Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) Youth4Soil Initiative.

A side event showcased rising global momentum for land restoration, with the Riyadh Action Agenda surpassing one hundred initiatives and the COP28 Action Agenda on Regenerative Landscapes mobilising more than USD nine billion in private investment.

By Dr Anneke Trux, Co-Lead of Global Programmes “Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security” (ProSoil) and “Soil Matters – Innovations for Soil Health and Agroecology”

Soils are finally stepping into the spotlight of global climate action! They do so for good reasons. Long underestimated, they are now recognised as a pillar for climate mitigation. Yet, let’s be clear: while soils are an emerging hero, they are not a silver bullet. They must complement, not replace, mitigation efforts in energy, transport, industry and other.

From 31st August, 2025 to 5th September,  2025, the 15th Africa Food Systems Forum took place in Dakar, Senegal under the theme "Africa's Youth: Leading Collaboration, Innovation and Implementation of Agri-Food Systems Transformation". The 2025 forum convened over 6,000 stakeholders from 106 countries, representing more than 120 institutions. The Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH), alongside partners and #Youth4Soil, played a pivotal role across multiple high-level sessions, advancing the soil health agenda and youth engagement in sustainable agri-food systems transformation. 

On August 28th, 2025, youth organizations and cooperatives from across Lusaka gathered at Protea Hotel Lusaka Tower for a transformative workshop under the theme “Strengthening Youth Voices in Agri-Food Systems Governance.”

Organized by FAO Zambia and ICLEI Africa, with active participation from YPARD Zambia, the session marked a pivotal moment in building youth capacity to influence food systems governance.

This wasn’t just another training—it was a shift in mindset. Following a series of engagements in agri-food systems governance dialogues and consultations that exposed a gap in youth capacity to effectively engage decision-makers, young leaders came together to move from “What is advocacy?” to “How do we make our advocacy more targeted, meaningful, and influential?”

As COP30 approaches, Dr Leigh Ann Winowiecki from the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) asserts the need to include non-state actors in global discussions to unlock soil health’s vital role in resilient food systems, climate solutions and planetary well-being.

Read the full Op-Ed published by New Food Magazine

On 28th and 29th May, 2025, Youth including Young professionals from the YPARD Zambia Chapter joined industry leaders, policymakers, and agripreneurs for a two-day workshop under the theme "Promoting Youth Entrepreneurship Across Agrifood Systems." Convened by Hydrangea, WEAC, ICLEI, and the FAO, the event focused on unlocking opportunities, improving market access, and driving sustainable innovation in Zambia’s agrifood sector.

The second United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) was held from 27–29 July 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, co-hosted by the Governments of Ethiopia and Italy. Marking four years since the inaugural 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, UNFSS+4 served as a critical moment to assess progress, deepen partnerships, and mobilize investments to accelerate food systems transformation globally.

The Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH)—established during the 2021 Summit—was actively engaged throughout the Stocktake. CA4SH co-hosted two thematic side events, co-organized a joint session with fellow UNFSS Coalitions of Action, and showcased its work through an exhibition booth, amplifying the role of healthy soil in delivering on food, nutrition, climate, nature, and land goals.

Building on the Millenium Development Goals – many of which saw considerable success, the United Nationslaunched the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)as a series of universally agreed-upon goals for the welfare of people and the planet.

Of these, SDG 1- No Poverty is a critical goal since it is intricately tied to other goals– No Hunger, Good Health and Wellbeing, Quality Education, Climate Action, Life on Land among others. However, despite decades of progress, poverty continues to be unacceptably high.

A new paper from IFDC, written by Dr. Caroline Kundu Agamala, Senior Soil Scientist, and Vinay Menon, Business Development Atlas Corps Fellow, seeks to elaborate on this theory of change and build the case for improving soil health.

A new paper from IFDC seeks to elaborate on this theory of change and build the case for improving soil health as a pathway to food security.

The paper begins with an overview of how soil health is critical to multiple SDGs, including SDG 2: Zero Hunger. It then discusses the challenge of global hunger; including its persistence and rising trend in recent years.

Next, the authors delve into approaches that are critical to improving soil health so that crop systems can thrive. Next, is a look at not just overall food availability but the challenge of hidden hunger which is closely linked to levels of plant nutrition and healthy soils, before concluding with the caveats of the assessment. 

The Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network Global (GCSAYN), under the visionary leadership of its Executive Director, Mr. Divine Ntiokam, successfully convened the Inaugural Symposium on Monday, June 30, 2025. This event was held virtually via Zoom from 9:00am to 11:00am EST and brought together 70 participants from across Africa and beyond.

Organized through the collaborative efforts of the Strategic Planning, Program and Partnership, and Communications working groups (WGs), the symposium focused on building and strengthening capacity, as well as empowering the 4th Cohort of Interns from approved and pilot Centers of Excellence as key drivers of change in achieving the AU 2063 Agenda ‘The Africa We Want” and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ( 17 SDGs).

This Innovative Symposium drew inspiration from the recent GLOBE–NASA 24-hour 2025 Research and Innovation Marathon Relay, themed “Accelerating Towards Water Security Through Community Research and Innovative Technologies.” That 24-hour global relay allocated two-hour session per continent, promoting continuous engagement and showcasing regional impact in reframing tangible, concrete and sustainable solutions to better water resource management in defining a strategic pathway to improving on SDG 6 ( Clean Water and Sanitation).

24 June 2025 | The second virtual #Youth4Soil Solutions Showcase, themed “Restore. Reform. Reap.” spotlighted the critical role youth are playing in reversing land degradation, rethinking failed systems and reaping the collective benefits of healthier ecosystems.

Climate change is no longer a distant threat—it’s a daily reality for millions of people around the world. And nowhere is this more evident than in the systems that feed us.

Farmers and fishers are on the frontlines of a crisis they did not create. As the climate shifts, so too must our approach to food. It’s time to put food and agricultural systems at the centre of climate adaptation.

Read the full story from WWF

At the 13th Session of the Global Soil Partnership Plenary Assembly, the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) and the “4 per 1000” Initiative highlighted role of evidence to inform policy and practice, as well as the critical importance of multistakeholder action to improve soil health globally. 

27 May 2025: The Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) and the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) co-hosted a webinar exploring the role of multi-stakeholder action in addressing financing, implementation, and knowledge barriers to scaling soil health solutions.

This article refers to soil heroes as people, places or things that stand for soil health even when climate change and other threats are rampant; all living and nonliving components that support the soil ecosystem thus bringing it glory and honour in the form of soil health. 

Soil health policies are stars for our soil, without whom our advancement towards global soil health would remain slower than the rate at which we are depleting our soils. The importance of soil health policies can be summarized into three pros: protect, probe and promote. 

During a recent webinar FROM DUST TO PROSPERITY: The ROLE of Soil in Shaping Africa’s Future co-hosted by the coalition of Action 4 Soil Health and the Allure of Soil Campaign, experts from around the world shared their perspectives on soil’s significance, its degradation, and the urgent need for action to restore and preserve it.

Soil health is the cornerstone of sustainable agriculture, and its impact extends far beyond the confines of the farm. As we enter the festive season, it's a fitting time to reflect on the invaluable gifts of soil health. These include policies, advocates, media influence, scientific expertise, and farmer dedication—all crucial in driving progress toward a healthier, more resilient agricultural ecosystem. Let’s celebrate these contributions and recognize their role in safeguarding our future.