Regional leaders, scientists, policymakers, and development partners gathered at the ICRAF Campus in Nairobi on January 27–28, 2026 for the inception workshop of a groundbreaking initiative: Establishing an ecosystem of soil data-driven services to meet the Global Fertilizer and Soil Health Challenge. The workshop was anchored in the three‑year project titled “Establishing an Ecosystem of Soil Data-Driven Services to Meet the Global Fertilizer and Soil Health Challenge.” The initiative is implemented by CIFOR-ICRAF and the Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH) in collaboration with the Varda Foundation, with financial support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). It builds on a soil knowledge exchange pilot conducted in 2024 in Kenya and Tanzania, which identified key barriers and opportunities for strengthening collaborative soil data ecosystems 

To commemorate World Wetlands Day 2026, on February 2, 2026 leading youth networks convened a high-level virtual webinar titled “Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage through Youth Action for Food Systems and Climate Resilience.”

The event was convened by the Sustainable Food Systems Youth Foundation (SFSYF) in collaboration with World Food Forum (WFF) Nigeria, Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) Nigeria, LCOY Nigeria, Biodiversity Rescue Club, and partner youth organizations, with technical and promotional collaboration from the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

On 27–28 January 2026, young agrifood system leaders from across Eastern and Southern Africa gathered at the CIFOR-ICRAF Campus in Nairobi for the Soil Health Knowledge Exchange Workshop.

The meeting marked the inception of a three-year initiative, Establishing an Ecosystem of Soil Data-Driven Services to Meet the Global Fertilizer and Soil Health Challenge, implemented by CIFOR-ICRAF in collaboration with the Varda Foundation and supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).

The workshop brought together researchers, policymakers, development partners, civil society, private sector actors, and farmer organizations from Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, and Tanzania to explore how soil data and knowledge can be better shared and used to advance sustainable land management, food security, and resilient agrifood systems. Within this diverse multi-stakeholder space, the YPARD played a visible and strategic role in championing youth-centered approaches to soil health action.

As we commemorate World Wetlands Day 2026, let's remind ourselves of how the Wetlands and healthy soils are deeply interconnected, as they function as one integrated system that supports water, climate, biodiversity, and human livelihoods.

Wetlands Conservation Organisation connects wetlands to soil health by restoring wetland soils, protecting soil carbon, applying nature-based solutions, reducing land degradation, empowering communities, and influencing policy.

Twenty years ago in Mali, Tor-Gunnar Vågen and colleagues began experimenting with a methodology to assess and map soil and land health; today, that early work has amplified into a framework with myriad applications for restoration across landscapes.  

Across Africa, large volumes of soil data are collected every year, yet much of this information remains difficult to access, combine, or reuse. Addressing this challenge requires not only better digital tools, but stronger collaboration between the institutions that generate, manage, and use soil data. This was the focus of a two-day technical consultation workshop held in Rome in November 2025, which brought together partners working on the open-source transition of SoilHive.

At UNEA‑7, soil was not just a technical topic — it was recognized as a strategic asset for people, nature, and climate. The side event “Scaling Soil Health for People, Nature, and Climate: From Resolution to Implementation” brought together UNEP, CIFOR‑ICRAF, CA4SH, WWF International, Solutions from the Land, Kenya National Farmers’ Federation and Emerging Ag to explore how global commitments are being translated into national policies and community‑level action and how these can be scaled to achieve more impact for people, nature and climate.

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.

At the recent 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, 15-year-old Angie Michelle Huezo Gámez from El Salvador delivered a powerful and deeply moving intervention. Speaking from lived experience in a region marked by drought, soil degradation, and water scarcity, Angie illuminated how environmental crises shape the lives of children and adolescents, and how young people are already acting to restore land and protect their communities.

Beneath the concrete, beneath the parks, and beneath our very feet lies the silent, vital foundation of our urban future: soil. On December 5th, 2025, this unassuming resource took center stage as youth leaders, scientists, and advocates from across Nigeria and beyond convened virtually for a powerful World Soil Day webinar. The message was unified and urgent: Healthy soils are non-negotiable for building healthy, resilient, and sustainable cities.

Across every continent, from UK farmland to the Amazon rainforest, nature has engineered one of the most advanced biological pest-control systems on Earth. These defenders are not insects, birds, or fungi—they are entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs): microscopic worms that track, infect and eliminate destructive soil-dwelling insect pests using a level of precision that rivals modern technology.

Advances such as Bionema’s encapsulated formulation technology are unlocking new global potential, making it possible to use these microscopic hunters in countries and climates where traditional formulations have failed.

Wise words from William Blake, and truly at the heart of Andy Murray’s macro photography journey.

My name is Andy Murray and for the last fourteen years I have been studying, photographing and writing about springtails and the other soil animals that make up the soil mesofauna. I document their lives on a website, chaosofdelight.org and try to pass on the unshakable and profound love and respect I have for these beautiful, tiny lives and the hidden world they sustain.

Healthy soil is essential for ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation, food security and nutrition, and climate mitigation and adaptation. At the COP30 plenary session “From Policy to the Ground: Scaling Action for Healthy Soil”, governments, development agencies, farmer organizations, and youth networks came together to reflect on how policies can drive real change for soil health, and it must be brought into the center of climate negotiations.

At the heart of COP30’s Blue Zone, the Action on Food Hub became a stage for one of the most urgent conversations of our time: how to scale farmer-centered restoration through the power of youth leadership. On Saturday, 15 November 2025, global voices converged to spotlight the role of young changemakers in driving soil health, food security and climate resilience.

The session was organized by the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) in partnership with leading youth networks—including the Youth4Soil Initiative, the UNCCD Youth Caucus, Global Landscapes Forum Restoration Stewards, World Food Forum, International Association for Agriculture Students (IAAS), YOUNGO, and the Young Professionals for Agriculture Development (YPARD). Participants represented a global population from India, Belgium, Netherlands, Costa Rica, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Zambia, Peru, and more.

From 10–21 November 2025, delegates from UN Member States, civil society organizations, the research community, Indigenous peoples, youth, non-profit organizations, the private sector, and more, came together in Belém, Brazil to drive the future of the global climate agenda. 

Representation from diverse groups is paramount to ensuring the voices of all are heard, and central to the approach from the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH). At this year’s COP, we centred youth voices, presented experiential learning from farmer-centred food security initiatives, called for increased attention to soil health as a climate solution from policy and financial stakeholders, and stressed the need for approaches to be rooted in Indigenous knowledge and value systems. The CA4SH Secretariat participated in 20 unique sessions across the Action on Food Hub, Brazil Pavilion, Food & Agriculture Pavilion, Spanish Pavilion, and the Nordic Pavilion, and we supported our network of partners and collaborators by promoting their engagements through our annual #COPSoil landing page.

Read on for an overview of our engagements at COP, positioning soil health as a key climate solution with co-benefits for global food security, biodiversity, sustainable landscapes, and rural livelihoods.

Le 11 septembre 2025, le groupe du travail Jeunes4Sol Francophone, sous l’égide de la Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH), a tenu un webinaire inspirant sur le thème « Cultiver l’Avenir : Histoires Inspirantes et Solutions Innovantes des Jeunes pour la Santé des Sols et l’Agriculture Durable ». Cet événement a mis en lumière des initiatives portées par de jeunes leaders africains œuvrant pour la régénération des sols et la promotion de pratiques agricoles durables.

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.

The Global Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) Conference is more than a knowledge exchange platform; it is a platform to incite climate action in agriculture. Immediately preceding the UN Climate Conference (UNFCCC COP30) taking place in Belem, Brazil, organizers of the 2025 CSA conference saw this year’s assembly as a critical opportunity to align on the future of food and agriculture ahead of COP30.

As an organization with action as a primary tenet, the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) was invited to co-chair the Soil Health and Plant Nutrition thematic session with partners from the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC). The session comprised two sub-sessions on 5th and 6th November, dedicated to finance and technology, respectively. Below, we summarize the innovations and key messages shared in these sessions, and chart a way forward for soil health at COP.

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.