This document provides an introduction to the Regional Soil Partnership and Global Soil Partnership. It discusses the goals of improving food security and reducing undernourishment. Soils are important for food production but are often overlooked. The challenges of population growth, resource scarcity, and climate change require closer cooperation. The GSP framework aims to address lagging productivity through investment programs. Soils support food security through availability, access, utilization and stability. Challenges include increasing food production 60% with population growth and environmental pressures. The GSP vision is to improve global soil governance to guarantee healthy, productive soils. It is making progress through regional partnerships, management plans, and designating 2015 as the International Year of Soils

1. Daniel Dale and Ronald Vargas
Dubai, 20 June 2014
INTRODUCTION TO REGIONAL AND GLOBAL SOIL PARTNERSHIP

2. Why RSP/GSP
SP and food insecurity
Perception on soils
Application of soils partnership
Vision
Pillars of action
Progress
POINTS

3. The first is a regional strategy framework to bring countries together to improve
food security and nutrition.
At present, the number of undernourished people in the 19 countries of the Near
East and North Africa remains high at nearly 43.7 million, or 10 percent of the
population.
Reducing those numbers while coping with a ongoing population growth,
increasing scarcity of natural resources and climate change will require much
closer inter-governmental cooperation.
The framework calls on governments to work together to address lagging
productivity growth through increased investment programs.
WHY RSP / GSP
Food insecurity and undernourishment in NENA

4. STATUS OF FOOD INSECURITYSTATUS OF FOOD INSECURITY
GLOBALLYGLOBALLY
Food insecurity –Food insecurity –
need to produceneed to produce
more healthy foodmore healthy food

5. Pillar Definition
Availability Supply side of food security. Food is physicallyFood is physically
availableavailable to people and depends on production,
stocks and trade.
Access Refers to the capacity of individuals to purchase
food. Is determined by incomes, markets and
prices.
Utilization Ability of people to use or take advantage of food
through a healthy diet. It is influenced by care and
feeding practices, food preparation, dietary
diversity and intra-household distribution.
Stability Time dimension, related to continuous accesscontinuous access
to foodto food. Shortfalls in food availability are a sign of
food insecurity.
FOOD SECURITY AND SOILSFOOD SECURITY AND SOILS
Food security: “when all people at all times have physical and
economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to
meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active
and healthy life” (FAO, 1996).
Availability, access, utilization and stability

6. HOW TO OVERCOME FOOD INSECURITYHOW TO OVERCOME FOOD INSECURITY
SOILS ARE IMPORTANTSOILS ARE IMPORTANT !!
- Basis for the provision of food, fibre, fuel and medicinal products.
- Stores and releases water, both for plant grow and water supply.
- Greatest pool of soil organic carbon.
- Regulates carbon, oxygen and plant nutrient cycles (N, P, K, Ca, Mg,
etc).
- Sustains biological activity, diversity and productivity.
- Habitat for seeds dispersion and dissemination of the gene pool.
- Central role in buffering, filtering and moderation of the hydrological
cycle.
- Platform for urban settlement and as material for construction.

7.  Soils are always there, not like water that once
scarce, it has serious implications for life!
 Why to invest on soils if there is no visible needs
such as in a drought?
 Soils just need some fertilizer and they will
produce enough food.
 There are vast extensions of soils that could be
used for many uses.
GENERAL PERCEPTION ABOUT SOILSGENERAL PERCEPTION ABOUT SOILS
““Because it is everywhere, we tend toBecause it is everywhere, we tend to
overlook the fact that soil is a limitedoverlook the fact that soil is a limited
natural resource”.natural resource”.

8. CHALLENGES AHEADCHALLENGES AHEAD
+60%
Globally increase on food
production and also
ecosystem services……..
Population
growth
Further
Pressure on
for

9. APPLICATION OF SOIL INFORMATION
Yield Gap Assessment

10. GSP Endorsement, Vision and StructureGSP Endorsement, Vision and Structure
The Vision of the GSP is thethe improvement of theimprovement of the
global governance of the limited soil resources ofglobal governance of the limited soil resources of
the planetthe planet in order to guarantee healthy and
productive soils for a food secure world.
GSP was endorsed by FAO membersGSP was endorsed by FAO members
during 23th COAG session and 145during 23th COAG session and 145
FAO Council session.FAO Council session.

11. Structure of the GSPStructure of the GSP
GLOBAL SOIL PARTNERSHIPGLOBAL SOIL PARTNERSHIP
Composed of
Guided/Advised by
Facilitated by
Through Regional SoilRegional Soil
PartnershipsPartnerships
PlenaryPlenary
AssemblyAssembly

12. GSP Pillars of ActionGSP Pillars of Action
1. Promote sustainable management of soil resources and improved global
governance for soil protection and sustainable productivity;
2. Encourage investment, technical cooperation, policy, education, awareness
and extension in soils;
3. Promote targeted soil research and development focusing on identified gaps,
priorities and synergies among economic/productive, environmental and social
dimensions;
4. Enhance the quality and availability of soil data
and information: collection, analysis, validation,
reporting, monitoring, integration with other
disciplines;
5. Harmonization of methods, measurements and
indicators for the sustainable management and
protection of soil resources.

13. Progress to dateProgress to date

14. FIRST GSP PLENARY ASSEMBLYFIRST GSP PLENARY ASSEMBLY
 Approval of the Rules of Procedure of the GSP
 Establishment of the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils
 Request for the establishment of the Healthy Soils Trust Fund
 Request for the development and implementation of Plans of Action
 Establishment of Regional Soil Partnerships
 Request for updating the World Soil Charter

15. SECOND ITPS SESSION (7-11 April)SECOND ITPS SESSION (7-11 April)
 Development of a Soils Brief as contribution to the “Sustainable Development
Goals and the Post 2015 process”.
 Agreed ToC and process for the production of the first version of the new and
seminal “Report on Status of World Soil Resources (RWSR)”, planned for issuance
in 2015;
 Endorsement of the draft version of the World Soil Chapter (adopted in 1981
by FAO Conference).
 Endorsement of the Pillars 1, 2, and 5 Plans of Action.

16. STATUS OF WORLD SOIL RESOURCESSTATUS OF WORLD SOIL RESOURCES
REPORTREPORT
• This will constitute the core product of the ITPS
and will be produced in a regular basis (every 3-
5 years) using the outputs to be generated by
the implementation of the Plans of Action (for
example SoilSTAT).
• First version to be prepared by ITPS and invited
recognized soil scientists from all regions in the
world.
• Regional chapters on the status of soil resources
in the regions will be an added value of this
report. ESP will be the right venue to discuss on
how to produce this regional chapter.
• It will be launched on 5th
December 2015 as the
main product of IYS.

17. THE WORLD SOIL CHARTERTHE WORLD SOIL CHARTER
• Considering concerns related to food
production and soil degradation
which alerted that 20% of the land’s
capacity in developing countries was
going to be affected if no actions
were taken.
• Conscious of this situation, the 21st
Session of the FAO Conference
(November 1981), adopted the World
Soil Charter.
• The Charter establishes a set of
principles for the optimum use of
world’s soil resources, for the
improvement of their productivity,
and for their conservation for future
generations.

18. SOILS AND THE SDGsSOILS AND THE SDGs

19. Way forward Pillar 1 Plan of Action
Definition of Sustainable Soil Management by GSP:
“Management practices that protect soil and enhance its performance for the production of
goods and provision of ecosystem services without degrading or impairing on- or off-site
ecosystem functions.”

20. Way forward Pillar 4 Plan of Action
Global Soil Information SystemGlobal Soil Information System
 Global grids of soil functional properties
 Global map of soil types
 Global soil profile database
Global Soil Monitoring System: SoilSTAT
 flexible design
 gradual implementation
 will fill the gap in the FAOSTAT
family
Synthesis, forecasting, interpretation and capacity development
 regular reports on “Status of World Soil Resources
Report” starting in 2015.
 supply of information to global reporting mechanisms
 diverse information products available online
 continuous capacity development programme

21. Way forward of Plans of
Action
As per the Guidelines for Plans of Action of the Rules of Procedure.
Organization of
International
workshops
Establishment
of global
Working
Groups
Preparation of
Draft Plans of
Action
Review and
endorsement
by ITPS
Endorsement
by Plenary
Assembly
Implementation through
Implementation Plans at
Regional levels

22. REGIONAL SOIL PARTNERSHIPS
• Pacific Soil Partnership will be established in September 2014.
• Also, the North American Soil Partnership is under planning.

23. REGIONAL SOIL PARTNERSHIPS
• The setting up of RSPs have started in 2011 along the
process of establishment of the GSP.
• Regional activities in NENA, LAC and Asia were funded in
order to start the development and establishment of
RSPs. The aim was to start with regional activities that
could pave the path to functional RSPs.
• That experience was very helpful as it showed that RSPs
are viable, though every region is very different and
single model will not apply. However, guidelines for RSPs
are much needed in order to guide regions on how the
RSPs will work.
• At the next Plenary Assembly, Guidelines for RSPs will be
submitted for consideration of GSP partners.

24. NENA Soil Partnership
• Launched in January 2012 through a project for developing the NENA Soil
Information System Phase I (converting soil information for HWSD). The
project consisted on capacity development and participation was very
positive (although the challenging political situation in the region). Project
activities will end in June 2014.
• Amman Communiqué was developed and the provisional Secretariat is at
the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture.
• Apart from the project activities, the NENASP did not move much
institutionally forward. Because of that, a regional Conference will be
organized in June 2014 in Amman in order to re-launch the Partnership
and institutionally strengthening.
Amman, Jordan 1-5 April 2012

25. • The Plenary Assembly of GSP on 13 June 2013 requested
establishment of a financial facility under FAO's rules for
financial allocations to approved activities and projects in a
transparent manner;
• The GSP Secretariat took due action and established in March
2014 the Healthy Soil Trust Fund Facility and Multi-Partner
Platform;
• The programme symbol provided to this Trust Funds is
PGM/MUL/2014-2017/GSP with programmatic budget of
USD64 mil and 5 years of implementation period;

26. CRUCIAL COMPONENTS OF THE PLATFORMCRUCIAL COMPONENTS OF THE PLATFORM
Soil ConservationSoil Conservation
and Soiland Soil
RestorationRestoration
Sustainable SoilSustainable Soil
ManagementManagement
Soil Research,Soil Research,
extension andextension and
capacitycapacity
developmentdevelopment
AwarenessAwareness
raising, educationraising, education
and policyand policy
dialoguedialogue
Strengthening nationalStrengthening national
soil institutionssoil institutions
Soil informationSoil information
Systems and SoilSTATSystems and SoilSTAT

27. WORLD SOIL DAY AND INTERNATIONAL YEAR OFWORLD SOIL DAY AND INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF
SOILS 2015SOILS 2015
After two years of work by FAO-GSP
Secretariat and Thailand, the 68th
UNGA
established and declared:
 5 December as World Soil Day
 2015 as International Year of Soils
FAO will function as the IYS Secretariat.
20152015

28. International Year of Soils 2015
“Healthy soils for a healthy life”

30. Join this Partnership and contribute to its
implementation!

31. • Shukran