If you have organized an outstanding WSD event for the 2020 campaign ‘Keep soil alive, Protect soil biodiversity’, don’t miss the chance to win the King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award, edition 2021.  The Global Soil Partnership (GSP) is pleased to invite all participants to last year campaign to apply: individuals, institutions, NGOs, academia, universities & colleges, private companies, or other entities.

The entries for the Glinka World Soil Prize are officially open. 

In the framework of Eurosoil 2021 "Connecting People and Soils" to be held from 23 to 27 August 2021, the FAO’s Global Soil Partnership will organize the workshop "Global soil governance: Status and future perspectives" on 25 August 2021 from 11:30 to 13:00 CEST in a virtual format. This event aims to reflect on the work done so far and what still needs to be done to ensure healthy soils for all in the coming years. 

Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) is one of the main parameters determining soil health. Land uses and management practices that maintain or increase SOC stocks are being recognized as beneficial for climate change mitigation and adaptation, food security and nutrition, Land Degradation Neutrality, and biodiversity conservation. Although many practices are known for maintaining and increasing SOC, responses vary depending on local climate and soil type. Soil management practices should therefore, be selected to suit each specific context. Due to the urgency to unlock the potential of SOC, a Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon (GSOC17) was organized in March 2017. The outcome document recommended the preparation of a technical manual that identify, compile and highlight management practices and land use systems that promote the preservation and/or enhancement of SOC stocks. 

The publication “Recarbonizing global soils. A technical manual of recommended management practices” was developed as a response to the GSOC17 Outcome Document. It presents different sustainable soil management (SSM) practices, at different scales and in different contexts, supported by case studies and scientific data that have a positive effect on SOC stocks, as well as successful experiences of SOC sequestration in practical field applications. This technical manual will be launched on 8 September 2021 - the first day of the Ninth Global Soil Partnership Plenary Assembly.

*SSM: According to FAO’s ITPS, soil management is sustainable if the supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural services provided by soil are maintained or enhanced without significantly impairing soil functions that enable those services or biodiversity.

FAO and the Eurasian Centre for Food Security (ECFS) are launching the book "Sustainable soil management in the Eurasian region" (available in Russian). This publication represents the first experience of regional application of the recommendations contained in the Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management and its supporting documents.

Download the publication here (soon available)