This presentation was given in a side event from the British Society of Soil Science at the UNFCCC COP28 in Dubai.

Learn more and download the presentation

The European Mission Soil Week is an annual event aimed at promoting the Mission Soil, raising awareness about the importance of soil health, and driving action to protect and restore our soils.

The EU Mission Soil Week website has compiled a library of event materials from the November 2023 event including presentations, recordings, graphics and more.

FOOD FORWARD NDCs is a simple, interactive, web-based tool that presents users with tangible, evidence-backed policy options and measures, and available literature for transitioning to nature-positive, healthy, and resilient food systems through NDCs. The available policy options can be tailored to a country’s specific food system priorities and different intervention areas of the food system, such as food environment, food governance, food production, supply chain, and consumption. The guidance does not intend to prescribe solutions, but instead, presents a menu of policy options as a starting point for decision-makers to further develop and implement on-theground measures for food systems transformation based on national and local contexts.

Download the full primer document from WWF

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

The Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) defines soil health as “the ability of the soil to sustain the productivity, diversity, and environmental services of terrestrial ecosystems”. In managed systems, soil health can be maintained, promoted or recovered through the implementation of sustainable soil management practices. As with human health, there is no single measure that captures all aspects of soil health. The preservation of these soil services requires avoiding and/or combating all types of soil degradation.

Excerpt:

“Soil is a natural resource which most of us either ignore or take for granted. Yet the thin layer of ‘dirt’ that covers much of the surface of the Earth is vital to the environment and invaluable to our societies.

However, soil quality is declining in many areas, meaning that it is less able to perform its essential functions. One area of concern is the effect of soil degradation on the climate, and vice versa.”

Read the full report from the European Commission (2011)

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 Global Food Systems Network Map is an online tool designed to visually represent the relationships among stakeholders involved in food systems-related efforts worldwide.

Download the presentation from Leigh Winowiecki, Aida Bargues Tobella, Christina Magaju and Tor-G Vagen in a joint side event at the Swidish International Water Institute’s World Water Week (SIWI WWW) in August 2023.

Abstract

The advent of “natural climate solutions” and “climate smart agriculture” has increased interest in managing agricultural lands to sequester soil carbon and mitigate climate change. This has led to enormous opportunities for soil scientists and growers alike, as new soil carbon initiatives are created by public, private, and philanthropic entities. It has also led to confusion over what is possible or practical to achieve through agricultural management, as soil carbon formation and storage is complex, and its response to management is context-dependent… cont.

Innovations aren’t delivered by just a few people – everyone working within a food system can innovate. It is important that all stakeholders identify the actions that will deliver most impact in the shortest time – identifying new actions that can be applied, and scaling those that are already delivering success. Everyone must work to rapidly accelerate food systems transformation. Those investing money in food systems transformation (be they governments, banks, private investors, public donors or businesses) have a significant say in what innovations are implemented. Not only does the amount of funding for food systems innovation need to be increase, the direction of funds must become even more focused and context-specific.

There are already many innovations in our food systems and several are demonstrating their ability to deliver big impacts in short timeframes. Innovating doesn’t require developing completely new ways of doing things and decision-makers can learn from the approaches being applied in similar food systems round the world.

In preparation for the upcoming UNFSS+2 Stocktaking Moment, the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub invited stakeholders to participate in a survey in order to gather valuable insights regarding stakeholder experiences in implementing and supporting food systems transformations leading up to the UNFSS+2. The results of the survey were analyzed and a draft report was produced by an independent author. The draft report was peer-reviewed by the Hub’s Stakeholders Engagement and Networking Advisory Group (SENA Group) through a series of meetings. The SENA group provided revisions to the report and finalized the content. This report is submitted to the UNFSS+2 as the “Stakeholders Contribution Document” or “Shadow Report to the UNFSS+2”.

Learn more about six practices in farming landscapes that contribute to healthy soils from CA4SH and AICCRA.

Learn more about the connection between climate-smart agriculture and soil health in this presentation from a side event at the Africa Agribusiness and Science Week, Developing the Implementation Modalities for the Soil Initiative for Africa and AFSH Action Plan, from CA4SH and AICCRA.

44 illustrated pages simply explain the approach of betterSoil. Based on the scientific paper by Azadeh Farajpour it illustrates how better soils actively supports climate and environmental protection, promotes the sustainability goals of the United Nations (Agenda 2030), and shows what every single person can do right now.

Best4Soil is building a community of practice network across Europe by interconnecting growers, advisers, educators and researchers. Click to view their library of videos providing information on applying healthy soil practices.

Best4Soil is building a community of practice network across Europe by interconnecting growers, advisers, educators and researchers. Click to view their library of factsheets providing information on applying healthy soil practices.

The new paper is a conceptual framework relating to fertilizer, crop productivity, and soil health. It features a number of key recommendations, generated from scientific information, which address soil health, climate change, farmer incentives, soil health investments, localization, and not only fertilizers but also auxiliary interventions.

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.