This brief, authored by Applied Microbiology International, emphasises the need to foster effective communication across the soil stakeholder spectrum to build the trust and open-mindedness to risk that is necessary for enabling wide-scale, lasting change.

Clarifying and communicating the values of grasslands is essential to catalysing increased conservation, restoration and sustainable management. Grasslands and savannahs face significant and widespread threats from multiple fronts and are an underacknowledged ecosystem in the minds and imaginations of people around the world. The report reflects a growing recognition and commitment to grassland and savannah conservation within WWF and partners, due to their critical roles in food security, biodiversity, ecosystem services and human cultures. It contributes to momentum building towards the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists and the next Conference of the Parties of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Mongolia, both in 2026. This report aims to help governments to develop ambitious yet realistic conservation strategies for these critical ecosystems and inform private sector initiatives and finance. 

This Policy Brief derives from the “Partners for Change – SOILutions for a Food Secure, Resilient, and Sustainable Future” (short SOILutions) conference in May 2025. The Partners for Change (P4C) Network brings together around 250 key stakeholders from government, civil society, and the private sector from over 30 countries. To advance the transformation of agricultural and food systems, the P4C Network provides an inclusive dialogue platform that fosters the c ocreation of sustainable transformation pathways across the three stakeholder groups.

Healthy soil is the foundation of resilient landscapes, sustainable food systems, and climate adaptation in Africa’s drylands. As a unifying element across climate, nutrition, biodiversity, and restoration agendas, soil health plays a critical role in realising the ambitions of the African Union’s Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI). With over 65% of productive land degraded and soil erosion undermining agricultural productivity, smallholder farmers across the continent face compounding vulnerabilities. The GGWI Strategy (2024–2034) recognises soil health as central to reversing land degradation and building long-term resilience, aligning closely with the Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Action Plan (AFSH-AP) (2023 – 2033) and broader goals outlined in the Ten-Year Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035).

This Brief focuses on soil health on the African Continent, drawing on discussions with senior government officials from Ministries of Agriculture across Africa, who convened in Kigali as part of the Policy Dialogue series in September 2024 to discuss issues related to the implementation of the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan. This Policy Dialogue aimed to: identify policy action to incentivize and support the improvement of soil health and environmentally sustainable fertilizer use, including fertilizer subsidy reform programs; and share lessons learned, challenges and opportunities for policy reform to enhance effectiveness of fertilizer support and other public programs on soil health and sustainability

This Brief focuses on the interactions between water security, resilient freshwater systems and agricultural practices and land use. It identifies policy instruments and actions for governments to provide incentives and support to water users in agriculture to manage the quantity and quality of water sourced, used and discharged in a more sustainable way. This can boost water security and resilience of freshwater systems more broadly while strengthening the resilience of agricultural production and food security.

Only through collaborative, cohesive soil health monitoring efforts can AU Member States ensure that interventions are based on evidence to maximize impact. For example, such a monitoring framework can be used to prioritize, track and adapt locally revelant interventions. In turn these data can be used to inform policy and financial investments. This policy brief outlines the case for African policymakers to scale soil information systems (SISs) and integrate them into continental, regional and national policy frameworks.

At COP 28, a diverse and powerful group of nonState actors6 came together to launch the Food Systems Call to Action for Transforming Food Systems for People, Nature and Climate (Food Systems CtA). Representing farmers and frontline communities, businesses, philanthropies, cities, consumers and many others, this broad coalition delivered a strong message to assembled world leaders and the global community gathered for the 28th Conference of Parties (COP 28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that all actors must take urgent action to transform food systems to deliver positive outcomes for people, nature and climate.

Developed through a consultative process in 2023, the Food Systems CtA is a 2-page text, available in 7 languages, that highlights 10 priority actions and 4 principles intended to unlock the transformative potential of food systems. It centres on the need to support farmers and other frontline food systems actors, with a particular focus on women and youth, as well as vulnerable communities. Incorporating feedback from hundreds of individuals and entities, the final text was published on the High-Level Champions website along with an endorsement process. This process includes the submission of a Statement of Action for endorsers to emphasise additional priority points and detail the actions they are taking that align with the CtA, promoting transparency and accountability. The full list of current endorsers is available on the High-Level Champions website. The Food Systems CtA will remain open for endorsement by non-State actors until COP 30 in Belem.

Food system transformation is needed for "safeguarding food security and ending hunger, and the particular vulnerabilities of food production systems to adverse impact of climate change".

Read the full policy brief from 4p1000, CIRAD, and IRD

This brief focuses on Payments for Ecosystems or Environmental Services (PES) as a mechanism for providing incentives to land users to transition to more sustainable land management.

Agriculture and food systems are both drivers and victims of escalating climate and nature crises, in turn increasing the risks to healthy diets, livelihoods and economies. Public policies can set incentives for farming and market practices that further exacerbate these trends, but they can also play a role in reversing them. The global Agriculture Policy Dialogue on Transition to Sustainable Agriculture is a peer-to-peer platform to share experience, facilitate partnerships and catalyse policy leadership to accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture and food systems that benefit people, prosperity and the planet.

Policy Pathway Briefs provide an overview of emerging experiences and lessons on policy approaches that contribute to this transition, covering a series of topics requested by Policy Dialogue members, to support peer leaning and knowledge exchange. The briefing notes are in no way exhaustive. The options facing governments will be context specific and look different across and within countries. The notes aim to act as a discussion starter and to facilitate exchanges between countries engaged in the Agriculture Policy Dialogue and with other global initiatives, drawing on the experiences presented by members and examples identified through further research.

This brief focuses on soil health, identifying policy instruments and actions for governments to provide incentives and support to farmers to protect and restore agricultural soils.

Agriculture and food systems are both drivers and victims of escalating climate and nature crises, in turn increasing the risks to healthy diets, livelihoods and economies. Public policies can set incentives for farming and market practices that further exacerbate these trends, but they can also play a role in reversing them. The global Agriculture Policy Dialogue on Transition to Sustainable Agriculture is a peer-to-peer platform to share experience, facilitate partnerships and catalyse policy leadership to accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture and food systems that benefit people, prosperity and the planet.

Policy Pathway Briefs provide an overview of emerging experiences and lessons on policy approaches that contribute to this transition, covering a series of topics requested by Policy Dialogue members, to support peer leaning and knowledge exchange. The briefing notes are in no way exhaustive. The options facing governments will be context specific and look different across and within countries. The notes aim to act as a discussion starter and to facilitate exchanges between countries engaged in the Agriculture Policy Dialogue and with other global initiatives, drawing on the experiences presented by members and examples identified through further research.

This brief focuses on fertilizers and provides guidance on policy actions that can incentivize efficient and more sustainable use and production of synthetic fertilizers.

Agriculture and food systems are both drivers and victims of escalating climate and nature crises, in turn increasing the risks to healthy diets, livelihoods and economies. Public policies can set incentives for farming and market practices that further exacerbate these trends, but they can also play a role in reversing them. The global Agriculture Policy Dialogue on Transition to Sustainable Agriculture is a peer-to-peer platform to share experience, facilitate partnerships and catalyse policy leadership to accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture and food systems that benefit people, prosperity and the planet.

Policy Pathway Briefs provide an overview of emerging experiences and lessons on policy approaches that contribute to this transition, covering a series of topics requested by Policy Dialogue members, to support peer leaning and knowledge exchange. The briefing notes are in no way exhaustive. The options facing governments will be context specific and look different across and within countries. The notes aim to act as a discussion starter and to facilitate exchanges between countries engaged in the Agriculture Policy Dialogue and with other global initiatives, drawing on the experiences presented by members and examples identified through further research.

The COP28 Presidency today announced that 134 world leaders have signed up to its landmark agriculture, food and climate action declaration.

Download resources from the COP28 Presidency

Business as usual strategies for agriculture, land use and land use changes will impede the contribution of the food systems to the net zero CO2 emission ambition.

Food system transformation is needed for "safeguarding food security and ending hunger, and the particular vulnerabilities of food production systems to adverse impact of climate change3".

Read the policy brief from 4p1000, CIRAD, and IRD

The Government of the United Kingdom launched an inquiry into how they can reach their target of having all British soil sustainably managed by 2030.

Download the response from CA4SH member, the British Society of Soil Science.

The Soil Policy event held at the 22nd World Congress of Soil Science in Glasgow, Scotland, was the first session of its kind, drawing together an expert group of 14 invited speakers to discuss the complexities, challenges and opportunities of soil policy and governance.

Included in this Legacy report are the main findings of the session, as well as dedicated articles from several speakers from that day.

Malgré les avantages, il existe peu de politiques qui incitent les agriculteurs à investir dans le maintien et l'amélioration de la santé des sols. Cette note d'orientation met en évidence les possibilités d'inclure la santé des sols et le carbone organique du sol (COS) dans les contributions nationales déterminées (CND) du Mali.