Le guide méthodologique fournit un aperçu des analyses économiques et environnementales les plus récentes, répondant au besoin de ProSol et pertinents pour des contextes de développement plus larges. Il explique les méthodologies proposées, leurs indicateurs et résultats clés ainsi que les besoins en données et fournit des informations sur le contexte d’application. Le guide comprend également des conseils et des astuces sur ce qu’il faut prendre en compte avant d’entreprendre une étude. Des idées pratiques sur la façon d’impliquer les parties prenantes concernées dans les différentes étapes d’une analyse permettent d’adapter les études aux besoins du groupe cible et d’assurer que les résultats sont utiles aux parties prenantes. Grâce à ce produit, les collègues des pays partenaires de ProSol devraient être en mesure d’identifier leurs principales questions de recherche et le but de telles analyses, et de formuler à l’avance le type de résultats qu’ils souhaiteraient obtenir. Ils devraient avoir une compréhension de base des méthodologies d’analyse économique et écologique existantes et savoir quelle méthodologie pourrait convenir à leurs besoins spécifiques. Ils devraient se sentir en mesure de monter un dossier d’analyse et lancer un appel d’offres et sélectionner un partenaire de recherche compétent pour éventuellement se lancer dans une étude personnalisée.

Since 2015, ProSoil has been empowering communities to address environmental and food-security challenges by implementing interventions, such as agroforestry, conservation agriculture, soil and water management, integrated pest management, and policy advice. Through effective collaboration with smallholder farmers, experts and decision makers, ProSoil has fostered a landscape transition towards sustainable farming practices. TAPE results from 120 farms that actively participated in ProSoil activities were compared with 120 farms that had not participated in ProSoil activities. To specifically assess the contribution of agroecology to improved soil health within ProSoil farms, as opposed to the comparison farms, TAPE was complemented with the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF) methodology to gain more detailed insights into the contribution of agroecological integration to physiochemical soil characteristics.

Environmental deterioration, ill health, and premature mortality are interrelated, and all are significantly influenced by global food systems. Currently, there is growing interest in switching to a sustainable system that ensures the production of diversified food products while ensuring the regenerative use of natural resources and addressing societal needs. Agroecology – a transdisciplinary approach simultaneously applying ecological and social concepts and promoting sustainable agriculture and food systems – addresses these needs and has therefore received global attention. In widely promoting agroecology, there is also a need to assess its level of integration and effectiveness. To this end, the Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) – a global analytical framework developed with contributions from numerous international organizations and with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) serving as the host – is widely employed to assess the multidimensional performance of agroecology and to generate evidence.

Snapshot of content in technology profiles as related to potential for sustainable intensification, enhanced profitability, emission reduction, and policy mechanisms to promote access and use.

As agroecology is increasingly viewed as a promising approach to render agricultural and food systems more sustainable, there is growing interest in assessing both the level of agroecological integration and the contribution of agroecology to achieving societal goals. To address both points of interest, the FAO’s Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) was applied in the context of the Global Programme “Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security” (ProSoil) in three Kenyan counties (Bungoma, Kakamega and Siaya). Since 2015, ProSoil has been building community capacity to implement agroecological farming practices. The application of TAPE aimed at assessing the degree to which ProSoil’s interventions contributed to agroecological transitions among beneficiary households, and how the degree of agroecological integration correlates with multidimensional performance. TAPE results from 101 farms that have actively participated in ProSoil activities were compared with 100 farms that had not actively participated in ProSoil activities, serving as a comparison group. These comparison farms were selected from households targeted for the DeSIRA (EU initiative “Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture”) project “Enhancing soils and agroecology for resilient agri-food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa” (ProSilience), co-funded by the EU and BMZ and embedded within ProSoil.

Cette compilation de données économiques examine les études et les rapports sur les activités de ProSol qui ont été menées entre 2014 et 2023, dont beaucoup ont été réalisées en partenariat avec l’Initiative sur l’économie de la dégradation des terres (ELD) (www.eld-initiative.org). Elles ont été analysées en fonction de leurs avantages sociaux, environnementaux et économiques.

This toolkit aims to provide nuanced information about key entry points of the six featured technologies within the broader context of ISFM (Figure 3). By compiling up-to-date evidence from research and case studies we discuss the potential benefits for crop production and complementarity with synthetic fertilizer. Critical reflections are made of lessons learned and innovative incentive mechanisms that can help production and use. We also provide examples of how policies and investments can be designed to create practical ways for farmers to access and use technologies that enhance soil health. This toolkit is intended for development organizations and the policy sector to accelerate dissemination and uptake at scale of organic inputs and other amendments with proven ability to maintain and enhance soil health in food production systems of SSA. In light of the Fertilizer and Soil Health Strategy for the next 10 years, the insights provided in this toolkit can aid decision-makers. By assessing the technical aspects and scalability, the toolkit advances understanding to leverage and guide research, commercial investments and policy design. The scope of the assessments in the toolkit includes upland annual and perennial cropping systems such as grains, roots, tubers, and bananas because they represent the largest geographic area and staple food in smallholder systems of SSA.

This guide presents a systematic approach to identify relevant climatic risks and evaluate the effectiveness of SPR technologies regarding these risks as well as the local feasibility of these technologies. The presented methodology strikes a balance between rigor and practicability. The multistakeholder approach and the participatory elements offer opportunities for networking and sensitization of local experts, policy makers, extension officers and most important - farmers themselves. First experiences demonstrate that opening this space allows for fruitful and empowering exchanges.

Toxic pollution on croplands—from pesticides, heavy metals, and industrial waste—poses a growing threat to soil health and the safety of crops for consumption. Addressing these contaminants is essential for food security, human well-being, and ecosystem resilience, yet significant challenges remain. In this Voices article, we ask, ‘‘What innovations and actions are needed to preserve croplands as a safe, sustainable foundation for the future of food?’’

This paper is the outcome of the “Partners for Change – SOILutions for a Food Secure, Resilient, and Sustainable Future” (short SOILutions) conference held in Berlin, Germany, from 20th to 22nd May 2025. It is based on the experience and lessons learned from over a decade of on-the-ground implementation through a major investment in soil protection and rehabilitation. Since 2015, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) together with the European Union (EU) and the Gates Foundation (GF) have provided over EUR 240 million through the programme “Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security” (short ProSoil) This programme has been successfully implemented in several African countries and India using a multipartnership approach. To date, nearly 1 million hectares of agricultural land have been protected and rehabilitated, achieving an average yield increase of 44 per cent and providing more food and better nutrition for 2.6 million people in seven countries.

Despite its importance, many national restoration monitoring frameworks still lack robust systems for tracking management practices at finer scales. Most reporting focuses on broad targets such as tree cover increase or total hectares restored—yet these figures alone don’t tell us whether restoration efforts are truly improving ecosystem function. Without clear data on soil health, vegetation recovery, erosion reduction, or water availability, restoration risks being implemented without understanding its actual effectiveness on the ground.

This Restoration Monitoring Guide addresses that gap. It provides a hands-on, field-ready approach for monitoring restoration outcomes at both plot and watershed levels. Developed for district-level field agents, extension staff, and natural resource management officers, the guide supports locally grounded, scientifically robust monitoring that enhances decision-making, accountability, and adaptive management.

Healthy soil is critical for ecosystem restoration, climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity conservation, water cycling, farmer livelihoods, and food and nutrition security. Despite its importance, soil health has often been overlooked, but momentum is growing as evidenced by recent high-level initiatives such as the Nairobi Declaration as part of the Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Action Plan and the European Union Soil Mission: A Soil Deal for Europe. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration was launched on 5 June 2021 to galvanise local, national and global action to restore degraded ecosystems. In the same year, the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) initiated a call for coalitions of action to champion integrated, systemic approaches to transform food systems. The Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) was launched to bring soil health into focus with participation across sectors and scales to ultimately raise awareness about this critical ecosystem that we depend on, but which is being degraded at unprecedented rates. Since 2021, CA4SH has grown to include nearly 200 members (as of January 2025) representing the public and private sectors, research institutions, non-governmental organisations, farmer organisations and cooperatives, individuals, youth-led organisations, and indigenous organisations to mention some. The initiative has also had a strong focus on gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) in soil and landscape restoration. The Coalition promotes soil as a unifier across a diverse set of stakeholders, building partnerships to overcome critical economic, technical and institutional barriers to the adoption and scaling of healthy soil practices. Furthermore, CA4SH facilitates evidence-based policy and practice action for the scaling of restoration practices that improve soil health. The Private Sector Guiding Group, launched as part of the UNFSS, developed a call to action to support increased investments in healthy soil, and continues to support the actions of the Coalition. Its four working groups focus on communication, soil health monitoring and implementation, policy, and financial investment. In the first three years since its launch, the Coalition has engaged in multinational dialogues and contributed to the adoption of soil health in the outcomes from the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC) 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) through the Koronivia joint work on agriculture (now the Sharm El-Sheikh Declaration), the UNFCCC COP28 UAE Declaration on Food Systems and Agriculture, the UNCCD COP16 Riyadh Action Agenda and also launched the Soil Health Resolution. Leveraging on the enabling policy environment, the Coalition catalyses public and private sector action with outcomes for economic returns and growth, productivity and rural livelihoods, climate and nature. The positioning of the Coalition in the current global environmental transition is pivotal to drive the multifaceted benefits that soil health improvement offers to food systems transformation and global adaptation to and mitigation of climate change.

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

Healthy soil is the very foundation of our food systems and provides several vital ecosystem services, from carbon sequestration to improving food and nutrition security, to regulating the water cycle to hosting biodiversity. However, land degradation negatively impacts over 3.2 billion people globally. This webinar highlighted the critical role of healthy soil for ecosystem restoration, climate adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity, and food and nutrition security, as well as advancements in monitoring soil health using field assessments, data analytics, Earth Observation, and citizen science.

The project STELARR (Sustainable Investments in Large-Scale Rangeland Restoration) is supporting the development of a global rangelands monitoring framework as a component of a global rangelands standard that will be awarded to rangelands products produced sustainably and according to a set of ecological, environmental, social and animal welfare standards. This global rangelands standard development is being led by the Sustainable Fibre Alliance, and in future will be applied and overseen by a Rangelands Stewardship Council in establishment. The standard will incentivize good land management and investments (including private sector investments) in this. ICRAF is leading the development of the global rangelands monitoring framework working with the Sustainable Fibre Alliance and other partners.

2024 was a big year for soil health and for the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (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. Scaling soil health can not happen in a vacuum; it requires the diverse perspectives, expertise, experience, and networks of the global community to come together. CA4SH is uniquely positioned to bring these voices together, offering a community and a meeting place for these partnerships to grow and bloom, and in 2024, we did just that in the name of healthy soil.

The Lal Carbon Center is pleased to present a draft of its newest publication The ABCs of Soil by Rattan Lal and Maggie Willis, illustrated by Maggie Willis. The book, intended for upper elementary students and anyone age 10 - 99, introduces young scientists to some concepts fundamental to understanding soil, alongside more advanced vocabulary so that the terms feel familiar as the children explore further. 

African Heads of State and Government formally adopted the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) Summit Declaration, also known as the Nairobi Declaration, during the AFSH Summit. The AFSH Summit addressed the urgent need to improve soil health and enhance fertilizer utilization across the continent to boost agricultural productivity and alleviate hunger and poverty. These priorities were initially identified in the 2006 Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer for the African Green Revolution.

Furthermore, the 2014 Malabo Declaration under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) reaffirmed AU Member States' commitment to inclusive agricultural transformation, building on earlier initiatives such as the 2003 Maputo Declaration on CAADP and the 2004 Sirte Declaration on sustainable agriculture and water management. Despite these commitments, AU Member States have faced significant challenges in implementing the objectives outlined in these declarations.

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.

To reverse Africa's interrelated challenges of land degradation, climate change, food security and biodiversity loss, African Union (AU) Member States will need to markedly increase the health of their soils and invest in soil restoration that is targeted and based on scientific evidence.

My Family Cares for Soil is an educational children's booklet by Eliseus Bamporineza, a Soil Health Advocate and Youth4Soil member of the Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH).

It is an engaging and educational booklet that follows a young girl’s journey as she explores soil health monitoring alongside family members. Each family member uses specific tools, like pH meters, moisture meters, and drones, to gather and analyze data on soil quality, helping the child understand the importance of caring for soil to improve farming outcomes. This story introduces children to scientific tools in a relatable way, showing how testing soil’s pH, moisture, temperature, and nutrient levels can lead to healthier crops and more sustainable farming. Through vibrant illustrations and simple explanations, the booklet covers essential soil care practices like moisture checking, nutrient testing, and mapping soil types. Designed as a learning resource each family member in the book showcases a specific tool used to monitor and enhance soil health, making the content accessible and relatable for children in their quest to know about soil and the importance of gathering information about it.