CA-COP-L Archives

Global Community of Practice on Conservation Agriculture

CA-Cop-L@LISTSERV.FAO.ORG

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show HTML Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Amir Kassam <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Amir Kassam <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 4 Jan 2016 09:40:36 +0000
Content-Type:
multipart/related
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (11 kB) , text/html (30 kB) , image011.jpg (4 kB) , image008.jpg (12 kB) , image007.jpg (28 kB) , image010.jpg (11 kB) , image009.jpg (39 kB) , image003.jpg (5 kB) , image002.jpg (47 kB) , image004.jpg (14 kB) , image005.png (70 kB) , image001.jpg (41 kB) , image006.png (35 kB)
*CA-CoP* *CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE*

*for sustainable production intensification*

Dear Subscribers,

Please find  herebelow for your information the Global Soil Partnership
Newsletter No. 8, December 2015.

Apologies for any cross-postings.

*Amir Kassam *

*Moderator*

e-mail: [log in to unmask]

URL: www.fao.org/ag/ca

-------------------
*From: *GSP-Secretariat <[log in to unmask]>

*Date: *Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at 21:31
*To: *GSP-Secretariat <[log in to unmask]>
*Subject: *Global Soil Partnership | Newsletter #8



 Having trouble viewing this email? View the online version here
<http://www.fao.org/nr/water/gsp_newsletter/8.html>.

[image: Global Soil Partnership Newsletter]
<http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership>

*#8 - December 2015*

*Season’s Greetings*

[image:
http://www.fao.org/nr/water/gsp_newsletter/images/8_xmasWSDOFFICIAL.jpg]This
year, which has been a key year for the soil community is coming to a
close. It's been an exciting year packed with soil-themed initiatives that
have taken place across the globe. It began with a challenge. As FAO
Director-General, José Graziano da Silva said at the opening of the year
twelve months ago, "*healthy soils are critical for global food production,
but we are not paying enough attention to this important silent ally*".
Describing soils "a nearly forgotten resource", Graziano da Silva called
for more investment in sustainable soil management and awareness raising
activities. Therefore, giving this “silent ally” a voice became one of the
main goals of the IYS global campaign.

With soils explicitly mentioned in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
for the first time, strong foundations are now in place for more to happen.
We need to keep the momentum going: 2015 may be over, but our soils still
need us as much as we need them.


Another important element that emerged very evidently from the year, is the
power of partnerships and collaboration. Through support from various
partners, we were able to invest in precious awareness raising instruments.
We hope to continue benefit from such support to be able to continue to
play the critical role of informing, educating and disseminating advocacy
for our soils. But we have also enjoyed support and collaboration from
enthusiastic supporters, for instance we managed to translate the logo in
35 languages and we hope to break this record next year. The idea is to
establish a year long conversation with our public through many channels
and in particular through social media. Last but not least, we recorded on
our map more than 600 events that took place all over the world, again,
let’s make an effort to ensure that 2016 will continue to be a record
breaking year in support of our soils.

*My best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2016!*



*Moujahed Achouri*
Director, Land & Water Division
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

*Closure of the International Year of Soils*

To celebrate the closure of the International Year of Soils and the World
Soil Day, many events
<http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership/world-soil-day/events/en/> of all
kinds took place worldwide between the 4th and the 7th of December 2015.
World Soil Day was celebrated at FAO headquarter on the 4th of December. In
addition to the official remarks given by FAO Director-General José
Graziano da Silva, representatives from member states, UN agencies, IYS
stakeholders and the IYS special ambassadors, Prof. Claire Chenu and Prof.
Tekalign Mamo, also spoke about the legacy of the year and the way forward
post-2015. "*Let us promote sustainable soil management rooted in proper
soil governance and sound investments. Together, we can promote the cause
of soils, a truly solid ground for life*," said UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon through the message he sent for the occasion. The webcast of the
closing ceremony is available here
<http://www.fao.org/webcast/home/en/item/4013/icode/>. A vast number of
celebrations were also organized by other FAO offices and other partners
around the world.

Throughout the year a vast amount of information material has been produced
in numerous languages. The “information box
<http://www.fao.org/soils-2015/resources/information-material/en/>”
provides information on soils through a broad range of products, making the
topic accessible to everyone. It includes fact sheets, infographics,
educational booklets, videos, posters, interviews and stories.

 [image: http://www.fao.org/nr/water/gsp_newsletter/images/8_clock.jpeg]
 [image:
http://www.fao.org/nr/water/gsp_newsletter/images/8_water.jpeg]  [image:
http://www.fao.org/nr/water/gsp_newsletter/images/8_soil_functions_pt.png]
 [image:
http://www.fao.org/nr/water/gsp_newsletter/images/8_cc.png]

FAO has also released some key publications on soils this year including
the *Revised World Soil Charter*
<http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/e60df30b-0269-4247-a15f-db564161fee0/>,
the *Farmer's Compost handbook*
<http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/0230bef3-2008-49a0-a45e-ff5370895219/>
and *Understanding Mountain Soils: A Contribution from mountain areas to
the International Year of Soils 2015*
<http://www.fao.org/publications/card/en/c/6c2daffb-b253-44e6-9a5d-352fc9cf9f67/>.


As the year end approaches, we are left facing another challenge: turning
this year outcomes into concrete actions. The GSP is already implementing
actions in all the regions to promote the sustainable soil management and
activities will continue well beyond 2015. Initiatives such as the *Macedonian
Soil Information Syste*m and the *Turkish soil carbon and soil fertility
system* were finalized this year. Among the many initiatives, the
development of soil information systems in Cambodia and Afghanistan will
commence in the coming months as well as an assessment of soil erosion in
Malawi. Awareness raising will also continue with World Soil Day to be
celebrated every 5th December and the World Soil Prize to be established
under the GSP aegis.

*Launch of the Status of the World's Soil Resources report*

The much awaited report on the *Status of the World's Soil Resources*
(SWSR) was launched on the 4th December in FAO headquarters, Rome during
the World Soil Day celebration and the official closure of the 2015
International Year of Soil. [image: ITPS meeting, Potsdam, Germany 13-17
April 2015]

The report is based on the assessments of more than 200 environmental
scientists of the state-of-knowledge on soil resources and soil change. It
reports on the major soil changes globally and in more detail on regional
changes. The report provides documented scientific data on soil erosion,
soil organic carbon change, soil biodiversity changes, soil acidification,
soil compaction, soil sealing, soil salinization and sodification, soil
contamination, soil nutrient changes and water logging.

Yet the overwhelming conclusion of the report is that the majority of the
world's soil resources are in only fair, poor or very p [image:
http://www.fao.org/nr/water/gsp_newsletter/images/8_brochure.JPG]oorcondition
and that conditions are getting worse in far more cases than they are
improving. In particular, 33 percent of land is moderately to highly
degraded due to erosion, salinization, compaction, acidification, and
chemical pollution of soils. "*Further loss of productive soils would
severely damage food production and food security, amplify food-price
volatility, and potentially plunge millions of people into hunger and
poverty. But the report also offers evidence that this loss of soil
resources and functions can be avoided*," said FAO Director-General José
Graziano da Silva. Writing the foreword to the 650 page-long report, he
expressed the conviction that the contents will "*greatly assist in
galvanizing action at all levels towards more sustainable soil management*,"
adding that this was in line with the international community's commitment
to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
<http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership/news-events-archive/news/detail/en/c/358365/>
.

*Main Report
<http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/c6814873-efc3-41db-b7d3-2081a10ede50/>
| Technical Summary
<http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/39bc9f2b-7493-4ab6-b024-feeaf49d4d01/>
| Brochure
<http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/243ce945-b2d3-4b3e-b574-d4ff5cf6f0ca/>*

*Establishment of the International Network of Soil Information
Institutions*

*[image: http://www.fao.org/nr/water/gsp_newsletter/images/8_group.jpg]*

National Soil Information Institutions met at FAO Headquarters from 8-10
December and joined forces to establish the first International Network of
Soil Information Institutions. Strengthening of soil data and information
is the goal of GSP pillar 4 and since 2012, an effort was made to develop a
coherent Plan of Action for Pillar 4 which was endorsed by the GSP Plenary
Assembly in 2014. Following the “guidelines for the development of Plans of
Action of the GSP Pillars”, an implementation plan was developed following
an inclusive approach. Since this plan envisaged the establishment of a
Global Soil Information System (based on a distributed model), and required
the active participation and contribution of national soil information
institutions, an International Network of Soil Information Institutions
(INSII) was established.

During the workshop, the final version of the Pillar 4 Implementation Plan
was developed, the Pillar 4 Working Group was established and agreement
regarding the roadmap and roles and responsibilities for the execution of
Pillar 4 were agreed.

*Release of the Revised World Soil Charter *

[image: http://www.fao.org/nr/water/gsp_newsletter/images/8_charter.jpg]The
Revised World Soil Charter has been endorsed by the 39th FAO Conference in
June 2015. The significance of endorsement of the updated Charter was high
as it coincides with the International Year of Soils encouraging
international efforts for reversing alarming trends in soil degradation
through boosting wide adoption of sustainable soil management.

*English*
<http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/e60df30b-0269-4247-a15f-db564161fee0/>

* | French
<http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cf9d27f1-113e-4294-841d-fe2130f0871e/>
| Spanish
<http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/b8d2fef4-0493-4aa9-b835-65068b9f3ccd/>
| Arabic
<http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/05cc338b-4c69-4d85-8891-2aef7549861e/>
| Chinese
<http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/8065412f-9b6a-4c5a-b29e-c7c1cb5ad055/>
| Russian
<http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/2978bd91-31d8-4b89-a186-f3d427d92003/>*

*Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management *

The just concluded FAO Council supported the initiative for developing the
Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management. The aim of these
guidelines is to support the implementation of the World Soil Charter in
order to effectively promote sustainable soil management. A very inclusive
process will be used for developing these guidelines and all partners will
be invited to play an active role on this challenging endeavour.

*Upcoming events *[image:
http://www.fao.org/nr/water/gsp_newsletter/images/8_upcoming.JPG]

   - *5th ITPS Working session*, Rome, FAO HQ, February 2016
   - *Eurasian Soil Partnership workshop*, Bishkek, Kirghizstan, 29
   February - 2 March 2016
   - *Soils side event at the Regional Conference for Latin America*, 29
   February - 3 March 2016
   - *GSP Plenary Assembly*, Rome, FAO HQ, 23-25 May 2016



Global Soil Partnership

www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership

########################################################################

To unsubscribe from the CA-Cop-L list, click the following link:
https://listserv.fao.org/scripts/wa-fao.exe?SUBED1=CA-COP-L


ATOM RSS1 RSS2