The Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils held its ninth working session from 10 to 13 October 2018 at FAO Headquarters in Rome. It was the first meeting of the newly elected third panel of soil experts with a 3-year mandate (2018 – 2021). 

Though various definitions of black soil natural capital were proposed in the past few months, no final decision was taken until the International Symposium on Black Soils (ISBS18). The ISBS18 was held in Harbin on 10 - 12 September as a result of a significant collaboration between the Food and Agriculture Organization and its Global Soil Partnership (GSP), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China and the government of the Heilongjiang Province. 

Harbin Communiqué

The 3^rd Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) will meet for the first time for its 9th Working session from 10-12 October 2018 at FAO HQ in Rome. The new board ensures proper regional balance, optimal coverage of the range of scientific and practical areas of expertise required by the wide GSP mandate, as well as gender balance.

FAO Director-General calls for sustainable management practices and global cooperation 

Two working groups will be created as part of the implementation of the outcome document “Be the solution to soil pollution”.