- The document provides a progress report on the Status of the World's Soil Resources Report. - It outlines the objectives of the report, which include assessing global soil resources and their impact on ecosystem services, food security, climate change, and human well-being. - It describes the timeline and status of the report, including that a first draft was completed in 2014, it underwent peer review in 2015, and it will be presented at the UN in December 2015. It also notes some figures still need to be completed. - Feedback was received that the summary report is too long, technical, and does not stand alone. It is recommended to have an expert produce a shorter, 20-day summary for policymakers

1. Status World Soil Resources Report – Progress report
Status of the World’s Soil
Resources Report
Progress report
By Lucrezia CaonBy Lucrezia Caon
FAO Editor
15 September 2015

2. Status World Soil Resources Report – Progress report
Objectives of the report
• It aims for an assessment of global soil resources, set within a framework of
ecosystem services. It presents the threats to soil functions and their
consequences for ecosystem services.
• The report provides a global scientific assessment of current and projected
soil conditions built on regional data analysis and expertise.
• The report explores the implications of soil conditions for food security,
climate change, water quality and quantity, biodiversity, and human health
and wellbeing.
• It is based on the best available soil information, including a full uncertainty
evaluation of the soil information.
• It results in the identification of soil-related knowledge gaps that constrain
the achievement of sustainable development.
• The report concludes with a series of recommendations for action by
policymakers and other stakeholders.
Status of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress reportStatus of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress report

3. Status World Soil Resources Report – Progress report
Contents and Coordinating Lead Authors
Part I: Global Soil Resources: M. Gerasimova (Russia), T. Reinsch (USA) and P.
Smith (UK)
Part II: Global Soil change: A. Bationo (Burkina Faso) and S. Indraratne (Sri
Lanka)
Part II: Regional assessments of soil change are coordinated by: V. Chude
(Africa South of the Sahara), K. Yagi (Asia), P. Krasilnikov (Europe), M.L.
Mendonça (Latin America and the Caribbean), S. Kazem Alavi (Near East and
North Africa), D. Pennock (North America), N. McKenzie (South West Pacific
and Antarctica)
Part III: Impacts and Responses: M. Taboada (Argentina), C. Norbu (Bhutan)
and D. Robinson (UK)
Status of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress reportStatus of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress report

4. Status World Soil Resources Report – Progress report
Timeline: where are we?
• July 2013: Decision taken by ITPS to produce a report on the Status of the World Soil
Resources and appointment of an editorial board.
• February 2014: First meeting of the Editorial Board.
• April 2014: ITPS meeting: Table of Contents agreed, Managing editor appointed,
Coordinating Lead Authors designated.
• May – November 2014: Draft sections submitted and Zero Draft Report produced.
• December 2014: Second meeting Editorial Board.
• January –May 2015 Peer review and finalization SWSR report
• January – May 2015 Preparation policy report
• June 2015 GSP Plenary informed/approval of the SWSR report.
Status of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress reportStatus of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress report
June-November 2015 Report edited and ready for printing
5 December 2015 presentation of the SWSR at the UN: English printed
version of the SWSR report

5. Status World Soil Resources Report – Progress reportStatus of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress reportStatus of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress report

6. Status World Soil Resources Report – Progress report
Main and regional reports
Status of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress reportStatus of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress report
Grammar editing:
Final version of the report by 18 September, 2015
21-23 September: last changes to the SWSR (figures/captions/authors name)
based on comments received from authors (Lucrezia)
Note: Number of pages overshot the target by 20%, if the pages of references
are ignored; but largely when reference pages are counted.
Graphic editing:
Ongoing (same layout Summary report)
Format: most likely A4

7. Status World Soil Resources Report – Progress report
Figures:
Still missing:
Main report:
3.5, 3.7, 3.8 (FAO) + 6.9 (P. Okoth, J. Mung’atu, J. Huising, J. Jefwa)
Regional report:
9.2-9.4, 13.1, 13.7-13.9 (FAO) + 10.4 (K. Yagi) + 12.5 (C. Gaistardo) + 12.7, 12.9
(M. Taboada) + 14.6 (D. Pennock) + 15.1-15.6 (N. McKenzie)
Annex: collection completed!
Status of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress reportStatus of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress report
Copyright permission:
We are still waiting to know about the copyright permission of a few figures
We do not have the copyright permission only for a few figures
-Figures remade by our graphic designer
-Figures deleted/changed/replaced

8. Status World Soil Resources Report – Progress report
BUT…we received the following comments from experts in communication:
- It is quite long for being a summary report: 96 pages after graphic
editing
- It is too technical for a general audience
- It does not stand alone as it refers to the main report (text and figures)
- It mainly summarizes just chapter 7 (“The impact of soil changes in
ecosystem services”) and chapter 8 (“Governance and policy responses
to soil change”).
- Missing is much from chapter 6 (“Global soil status, process and
trends”), although some information from this chapter is woven into
the structure of chapter 7 that does not yield a clear summary of the
states of the worlds’ soil.
- It does not effectively highlight key facts that would catch readers’
attention and prompt them to think
Summary report (format B5)
Status of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress reportStatus of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress report
It is ready for publishing
ftp://ext-ftp.fao.org/nr/data/upload/soils/Soil_Report_Summary_B5_002.pdf

9. Status World Soil Resources Report – Progress report
Summary report (format B5)
Status of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress reportStatus of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress report
Our communication group advised us to ask an expert in
communication to remake the summary:
Target audience: POLICY MAKERS
- Key messages from the SWSR easy to understand
- Shorter than the previous one
- It will stand alone: no direct references to the main and
regional reports
Time to produce it: 20 working days

10. Status World Soil Resources Report – Progress report
Summary for policy makers: structure
Status of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress reportStatus of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress report
• Key messages -- 4 pages -- soil is important (food security, ecosystem services), soil
is threatened (drivers of change), soils are in trouble (soil status and trends +
regional trends), action can and must be taken (responses + the way ahead)
• Importance of soil -- 8 pages -- food security, soils and water, soils and climate, soils
and human health, soils and biodiversity
• Drivers of change in soil -- 4 pages
• Soil status and trends -- 16 pages -- erosion, soil organic carbon, soil contamination,
soil acidification, soil salinization, soil biodiversity, soil sealing, soil nutrient balance,
soil compaction, soil water quantity and quality
• Responses -- 8 pages -- technical and policy options to mitigate soil degradation and
maintain/enhance soil ecosystem services, food security, and human health
• The way forward -- 4 pages
• Regional trends -- 36 pages. 4 pages per each region: 2 pages of text and a table that
spans 2 pages

11. Status World Soil Resources Report – Progress reportStatus of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress reportStatus of the World’s Soil Resources Report - Progress report