A GLANCE AT THE 10th PLENARY ASSEMBLY

The Global Soil Partnership (GSP) 10th Plenary Assembly was held online on 23-25 May 2022. More than 450 people from 143 countries including FAO Members, delegates and GSP partners actively participated in this plenary that marked the 10th anniversary of the formal establishment of the Partnership, a decade dedicated to raising the profile of soil and implementing sustainable soil management.

KEY OUTCOMES OF THE PLENARY

This year the Partnership brought years of work and experience to the table. FAO Director-General QU Dongyu opened the meeting by saying that "The role of soils and their fertility are more important than ever to ensure food security for all” and added that they are key “to enable the transformation of agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable." 

The release of the Global Black Soil Distribution Map (download the brochure) was the result of a multi-year effort that directly involved countries in a bottom-up approach (PRESS RELEASE).

The new Framework for Action 2022-2030 ‘Sustainably managed soils for a healthy life and environment: from promotion to consolidation of sustainable soil management’ was adopted. The key points touched during this Plenary included: the work of the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) and the appointment of the new 4^th panel; the progress of the seven GSP Technical Networks and the adoption of their new work plans; the status of the Global Symposia, the 2023 Global Symposium on Soil and Water and the suggestion for consideration by the next Plenary of a global symposium on soil data quality and harmonisation for 2025. The theme of World Soil Day - 5 December 2023 was also proposed and approved, with the slogan 'Soil and Water, an alliance for life'. "Our goal now is to leave no one behind and improve and maintain the health of at least 50 percent of the world’s soils by 2030” said Ronald Vargas, Secretary of the FAO Global Soil Partnership. Of course “This is only possible with the strong support and solidarity of all partners," he continued. The Assembly expressed its appreciation for the efforts made and unanimously congratulated the GSP on its 10th anniversary. 

REPORT | PRESENTATIONS | DOCUMENTS

EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF THE 10TH SESSION OF THE GSP PLENARY

In response to the request of the 27th Session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG27) (see Note 1), held on 28 September - 2 October 2020, reports were prepared on the legal and financial implications of the proposed institutionalisation of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP). Five options were identified: (1) maintaining the status quo; (2) an Article VI body; (3) an Article XIV body; (4) a subsidiary body of COAG i.e. a COAG sub-committee; and (5) a COAG sub-committee maintaining the GSP at the status quo.

The 10th Plenary Assembly of the GSP expressed its full support for maintaining the Partnership with all its components. In order to consider option 5, it requested further information and recommended the organisation of an extraordinary session of the Plenary prior to the 28th session of the COAG (to be held on 18 - 22 July 2022) to examine the implications of option 5 and provide further recommendation to the COAG.

The extraordinary session, held virtually on 30 June 2022, with more than 200 participants, unanimously confirmed the Partnership's success in promoting the importance of soil and its sustainable management and in making soil governance more efficient at the global level.

It also confirmed the need to maintain the GSP as it is today in order to consolidate the adoption of sustainable management practices worldwide.

The extraordinary session recommended that COAG 28 request the Secretariat to undertake an analysis of the potential positive and negative aspects as well as of the practical implications of option 5, working in a transparent and collaborative manner, and submit it to the 11th GSP Plenary Assembly of June 2023 (tbd) for discussion and recommendation to COAG 29.

The detailed analysis should include the following seven aspects:

• Financial implications of maintaining the GSP at the status quo while  creating the COAG sub-committee on soils to avoid competition on resources;
• Composition and appointment process of the members of the COAG sub-committee on soils;
• Description of the roles and work-plans of the GSP and the COAG sub-committee to avoid duplication of efforts;
• Role of GSP focal points, government partners and of the Plenary Assembly;
• Coordination mechanisms between GSP and COAG sub-committee on soils;
• Decision-making process between GSP, COAG sub-committee on soils, and COAG itself;
• Impact on non-state stakeholders of the Partnership, including farmers.

REPORT | DOCUMENT

Note 1: Discover more