First FAO soil symposium outside headquarters attracts over 2 000 participants worldwide

Nanjing, China – The first-ever Global Symposium on Soil Information and Data hosted outside of the FAO headquarters took place from 25 to 28 October 2024 in Nanjing, China. This event was made possible through the generous financial commitment and dedicated efforts of the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISSCAS), who co-organized the symposium with FAO. Their significant contribution and support were instrumental in bringing together over 300 on-site participants and more than 2 000 virtual attendees from 176 countries, including leading soil experts, policymakers, and stakeholders—all united in advancing the global soil agenda.

In a significant step towards advancing soil analysis standards, representatives from 16 soil laboratories operating in various regions of Argentina gathered at the Anguil Agricultural Experimental Station in La Pampa. The event, held from 10 to 12 September 2024, aimed to align the national protocols for soil analysis with the globally recognized standard operating procedures (SOPs) of FAO and its Global Soil Partnership through one of its seven technical network: The Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN).

The International CleanUp Conference 2024 was hosted by crcCARE and one of the top 27 soil experts from the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS), Laureate Professor Ravi Naidu. It was one of the largest soil pollution conferences in the Asia-Pacific and one of the most influential globally. Known for uniting leading experts from industry, government, and academia, the event focused on practical solutions to environmental challenges. This year’s conference, held from 16 to 19 September in Adelaide, Australia, attracted 750 participants from 35 countries and featured 210 presentations on cutting edge topics ranging from innovative technologies and reduce methane emissions in livestock to effective communication strategies for engaging local communities on pollution issues.

In the Upper West region of Ghana, farmers face significant challenges due a very short rainy season and escalating fertilizer costs. With an average of 1.6 hectares per farmer, maximizing soil productivity is essential. To address these challenges, FAO and its Global Soil Partnership (GSP) are partnering with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Soil Research Institute (CSIR-SRI), Community Action for Development & Research (CADER), and the FAO’s Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) to implement a Recarbonization of Agricultural Soils (RECSOIL) pilot project. This initiative builds on ongoing efforts to empower women farmers in the region.

The 8^th meeting of the Asian Soil Laboratory Network (SEALNET), held from 15 to 19 July 2024 in Quezon City (the Philippines), brought together representatives from soil laboratories across 18 Asian countries. gathered in Quezon City (the Philippines). Hosted by the Bureau of Soil and Water Management (BSWM), the event marked a significant step forward for soil science in the region, with new targets established and a major inter-laboratory comparison exercise launched.