The British Society of Soil Science is currently accepting oral and poster abstracts for both their Annual Conference and Early Careers Conference in December. The abstract review panel is accepting abstracts in one of five topics linked to the conference theme, Resilient Soils for a Sustainable Future.

Swansea, UK – 21 May 2025 – Bionema Group Ltd., a pioneering UK biocontrol technology company, has been awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise – Innovation 2024, recognising its world-leading innovations in sustainable crop protection and soil regeneration.

Swansea, UK – 5 February 2025 – As the world faces mounting pressure to reduce synthetic fertiliser use amid climate and soil degradation crises, a groundbreaking £961,000 project led by Bionema Group, a UK-based biocontrol technology developer, is paving the way for a sustainable transformation in nutrient management. This project is funded by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) through the Farming Innovation Programme, under the Nutrient Management Competition. The programme is delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.

Le potentiel des jeunes francophones est immense : ils représentent plus de 50 % des 321 millions de francophones de moins de 35 ans. Les membres du groupe #Jeune4Sol Francophone de la CA4SH incarnent une génération dynamique, créative et scientifiquement engagée. Nos actions en faveur de la santé des sols, pilier de la sécurité alimentaire et de la biodiversité, permettent de bâtir un avenir durable pour les générations futures.

March 31, 2025: Healthy soil is the cornerstone of sustainable development, playing a critical role in climate regulation, combating desertification, and supporting biodiversity and ecosystems. Yet, unsustainable land management and climate change are increasing soil degradation and threatening the rich biodiversity beneath our feet.

At the Forum for the Future of Agriculture Conference in Brussels, SOILGUARD partners convened farmers, researchers, advisors, policymakers and interested stakeholders to reflect on the role of soil biodiversity and management in shaping effective policies. The Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) joined the event and shares the following insights from the discussion, highlighting the urgent need to effectively integrate soil health into policy and practice. 

Happy Earth Day! Today we celebrate our planet by sharing ways to protect, restore, and cherish it. At Sustainable Harvest International (SHI), one of the ways we care for the Earth is by partnering with family farmers in Central America to grow food organically and sustainably. Keep reading to learn how you can do the same—and make every day Earth Day.

The practices listed below are used daily by SHI farmers and rooted in a deep respect for the land. We hope they inspire you to change your own consumption habits—or go further still and help transform your local food system. Like SHI’s dedicated farmers, who care deeply for their families and the planet, you too can be an agent of change.

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. 

From February 5th to 9th 2025, I and three other Community Facilitators working with CIFOR-ICRAF in Kenya were privileged to attend a Syntropic Agroforestry and Regenerative Regenerative Agriculture course at ForestFoods in Limuru, Kenya. It was an awesome 4-day training course with intensive learning about the topic coupled with lectures and field activities.

Story and photos by Clemence Mnyika, Community Facilitator with CIFOR-ICRAF Kenya and Member of #Youth4Soil

27 March 2025: The Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) is thrilled to announce the launch of the 2024 Annual Report, marking significant milestones for the Coalition and for global soil health. 2024 was a big year CA4SH; we engaged global stakeholders in united advocacy to scale soil health through our priority areas of action, including science, policy, finance, youth engagement, and implementation on the ground. Additionally, we grew our membership from 159 to 258 global partners from across sectors and scales.

Learn more about the report, access the social media toolkit, and download the full report here!

This month, the World Economic Forum (WEF) announced the 2025-2026 cohort of the Global Future Council on Soils including Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) Co-Leads Dr Rattan Lal and Dr Leigh Ann Winowiecki on its distinguished panel.

The Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH) #Youth4Soil Working Group held its inaugural Virtual Soil Solutions showcase on Thursday, 6th March 2025. The event was dubbed “We Grow We Eat” to celebrate soil as a growing medium for 95% of the world's food. The showcase provided a platform for #Youth4Soil members to exhibit the soil health solutions they are already implementing in their local contexts and interact with key stakeholders to grow those solutions.

In the age of climate change and environmental degradation, sustainable agriculture has never been more crucial. One of the most pressing challenges facing farmers today is the management of herbicide-resistant weeds, which threaten crop yields, soil health, and ecosystem balance. Integrated Weed Management (IWM) strategies are essential for combating these weeds while fostering soil resilience and long-term agricultural sustainability. This column explores how IWM not only addresses weed resistance but also promotes soil health as a foundation for resilient farming systems.

On 19 February 2025, more than 70 partners from across the CA4SH network attended the first partner meeting of 2025 to share progress made and the next steps for scaling global soil health. The CA4SH Steering Committee also convened this month to discuss the action areas identified in the partner meeting and strategized the way forward for the Coalition.

The following update provides key takeaways from the two meetings and outlines action points that partners can take to engage with the Coalition and scale soil health globally.

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.

The projects Restore4More (led by SLU and funded by Formas) and ‘Restoration of Rangeland Carbon Sinks for Increased Community Resilience and Agricultural Outcomes’ (led by ICRAF) have partnered up to build a network of rangeland health monitoring sites in East Africa. The goal is to foster data-driven decision making around rangeland restoration and sustainable management in the region. 

The Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) has been invited to join the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils(VACS) Champions Program of the Office of Global Food Security for the US State Department in partnership with the African Union and the Food and Agricultural Organization.

Through this collaboration, CA4SH joins a family of action-oriented organizations working toward resilient food systems, globally, by scaling climate-adapted crops and healthy soils.

On 14 January 2025, the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) hosted a reflection webinar for a recent pilot initiative from CIFOR-ICRAF, Varda, and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. Over 125 participants attended to hear insights on the soil data ecosystem in Kenya and Tanzania and contribute their questions and perspectives on the pilot results and the future of soil health data on the African continent.

Soil health is fundamental to IFDC’s mission of establishing food security, boosting agricultural productivity, and improving livelihoods. In honor of World Soil Day, IFDC invites eligible participants to engage in the “Visual Stories of Soil Health” competition to raise awareness about the critical role of soil health in sustainable agriculture. 

This competition aims to showcase the transformative impact of IFDC, our partners, and other soil health initiatives, by utilizing the power of visual storytelling to illustrate the significant improvements in soil health, crop yields, and the social and economic benefits for communities worldwide.

Submission Deadline: February 5, 2025 

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.