GLOBALGLOBAL SOILSOILGLOBALGLOBAL SOILSOILPARTNERSHIP: PARTNERSHIP: Soil Data Soil Data and Information Pillarand Information Pillar

Parviz Koohafkan, Director Land and Water DivisionDirector, Land and Water Division FAO, Rome

FAO’s most important publications present comprehensive and objective information and comprehensive and objective information and analysis on the current global state ....• The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA)g ( )• The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA)• State of the World's Forests (SOFO)• The State of Food Insecurity in the World (SOFI)• The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO)• The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO)

‘St t f’ bli ti l t d i t‘State of’ publications – selected requirements•Comprehensive scope; global scope; balanced presentation; •High-level target audience; Sensitivity of contents to Member States•Publication in all FAO languages•Publication in all FAO languages•FAO’s viewpoints (policy-relevant recommendations! priority issues!)•Based on data and facts

2

SOLAW - State of the World’s Land and Water Resources For Food and Agriculture

Resources availabilityResources availability

land and water availability in high income high income

countries

land and water il bilit iavailability in

low income countries

Average per capita

Uneven geographic distribution ofl d land resources

300

Prime Good Marginal

200

250

100

150

Area (M

.ha.)

0

50

North

ern A

frica

Sub‐

Saha

ran A

frica

North

ern A

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ica

Ame

rica a

nd Ca

ribbe

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rn Am

erica

Wes

tern

Asia

Cent

ral A

siaSo

uth A

siaEa

st As

iaSo

uthe

ast A

sia

tern

and C

entra

l Eur

ope

and R

ussia

n Fed

erati

on

strali

a and

New

Zeala

ndPa

cific

Islan

ds

Cent

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stern

Euro

pe a

Aust

The use of resources by agriculture 20102010

12% used forAG uses

70%12% used forcrop production

70%of all water

ithdwithdrawn

world’s land surface total world’s water uses

In the past 50 years…

+200%I t +200%Agricultural production

Increments in the past 50 years

117%

production

+117%W ld’

Irrigated area

+12%

World’s cultivated land

g

+12%

Water Scarcity

1/3 of the world’s population live under water scarcity

Land Degradation, Desertification, Climate Change, Poverty and Migrationand Migration

Agricultural systems at risk

Systems at Risk at a Glancey

Best options for the poorest?

Great success in the past… but still nearly one billion people are hungry y p p g y

• Key questions:– to what extent can farmers improve to what extent can farmers improve

their food production with low-cost and locally-available technologies and y ginputs?

– What impacts do these methods have on pnatural resources and environmental goods and services and the livelihoods of

l l i th ?people relying on them?

TOWARDS 2050TOWARDS 2050.....

THETHE CHALLENGE

AHEADAHEAD

Population increase and urbanization…

Projected Population Increasej p

Towards 2050… food requirements

+70%foodfood

+70%globallyfood

productionfoodproduction

globally

100%productionneedsproductionneeds +100%

i d l iin developingcountries

The Challenges Ahead Require:A Paradigm Shift in

g q

Development(Agricultural) Policies

addressingWhile

Sustaining addressingfood security and Poverty

Sustaining Natural

Resources Baseand Poverty Resources Base

THE ECOSYSTEM APPROACH i t t f th i t t d t f l d t d li iis a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living

resources and human activity that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way

ClimateChange

Land CoverChange

BiodiversityLoss

NutrientLoading Etc.

An ecosystemIntegrated Pest Management An ecosystem

consists of a dynamic

complex of

Management

Organic Agriculture

Conservation Ecosystems

pplant, animal and micro-organism

Agriculture

Other integrated technologies

communities and their non-

living environment

technologies

FAO with many partners is actively

ki thHealth Economics Social

environment interacting as a functional unit.

working on the development and

dissemination

Soils at the Centre of the Paradigm Shift:Soils at the Centre of the Paradigm Shift:A Multiple WinA Multiple Win--winwin StrategyStrategy

EconomicEconomic

A Multiple WinA Multiple Win--win win StrategyStrategy

Economic Benefits

Economic Benefits

Food Food SecuritySecurity

Environmental Q lit

Environmental Q litQualityQuality

Why a Global Soil Partnership?Why a Global Soil Partnership?

• Improve  global coordination through an intergovernmental mechanism;intergovernmental mechanism; 

• Put national and regional needs in the centre• Put national and regional needs in the centre.

• Involve local institutions and communities to• Involve local institutions and communities to create ownership.

• Catalyse effective and coordinated soils policies and investments for food security and the ESand investments, for food security and the ES. 

The mission and vision of theThe mission and vision of the Global Soil Partnership

“To build capacities and exchanges knowledge and technologies for sustainable management of soil resources at all levels to enhance food security in an era of climate change and propose national and international soil quality-soil health Best Practices, standards, guidelines and monitoring systems.”

GSP Proposed Pillars of Action GSP Proposed Pillars of Action 

1. Promote sustainable management of soil resources for soilgprotection, conservation and sustainable productivity.

2. Encourage investment, technical cooperation, policy,education awareness and extension in soilseducation awareness and extension in soils.

3. Promote targeted soil research and development focusing onidentified gaps and priorities and synergies with related

d ti i t l d i l d l t tiproductive, environmental and social development actions.4.4. EnhanceEnhance thethe quantityquantity andand qualityquality ofof soilsoil datadata andand

informationinformation: data collection (generation), analysis,validation, reporting, monitoring and integration with otherdisciplines;

5. Harmonization of methods, measurements and indicators for5. Harmonization of methods, measurements and indicators forthe sustainable management and protection of soil resources;

Data problems and Gaps• Soil data heterogeneous, fragmented, partly outdated

(soil fertility, carbon content) difficult to compare, not easily accessible and not responding to users demands;

• Capacities in soils are constantly becoming scarce • ( loosing soil expertise);• ( loosing soil expertise);• Soil Knowledge too technical and specialized not

translated and used for decision making and nottranslated and used for decision making and not tailored to development agendas of today’s issues;

• Investments in soil management are far too low compared to the needs;

• Need for compatible soil policies for: UNCCD, UNCBD, UNFCC F d it di t d d htUNFCC, Food security, disaster and drought management, rural poverty , rural/urban planning, etc.

How to measure ChangesgS.O

.M

Prodvity

Land use change

M. &

ductiy

THIS WORKSHOPTHIS WORKSHOP

The objective of this workshop is to review the state ofThe objective of this workshop is to review the state ofthe art of soil information, tools and techniquesavailable for mapping soils at global and regional scalesas an input for defining future activities under theimplementation of the Global Soil Partnership. Soild t /i f ti d d ill b l i ddata/information user demands will be also reviewed.

Final products: a)) draftdraft planplan ofof actionaction forfor thethe soilsoilFinal products: a)) draftdraft planplan ofof actionaction forfor thethe soilsoilinformationinformation pillarpillar andand b)b) aa StateState ofof thethe ArtArt ReportReport ononGlobalGlobal andand RegionalRegional SoilSoil InformationInformation.

AVAILABLE GLOBAL SOIL INFORMATIONAVAILABLE GLOBAL SOIL INFORMATION

The Harmonized World Soil Database is an example of work inThe Harmonized World Soil Database is an example of work inpartnership and is the only Global Soil Information System available.

1.22

GSP Pillar of action on Soil InformationGSP Pillar of action on Soil Information

1.1. EnhanceEnhance thethe quantityquantity andand qualityquality ofof soilsoil datadata andandi f tii f ti d t ll ti ( ti ) l iinformationinformation: data collection (generation), analysis,validation, reporting, monitoring and integration with otherdisciplines;A joint plan of action for this pillar should be developedtaking into account the following:

‐ Address users needsAddress users needs‐ National institutions at the center ofimplementationCapacity development programs‐ Capacity development programs

‐ Using the best science and technology‐ Valuing soil legacy information‐ Free accessibility of data and information‐ Think about monitoring (to guarantee andactive and continuous process).

FAO Activities to support this processFAO Activities to support this process

1. Development of the FAO Soil Portal as a friendly source of information for themember countries and general public;g p ;

2. Digitalizing the Soil Legacy Data and Information available at FAOExisting Soil Maps: last entries into GeoNetwork 1200 maps globally.Existing Soil Project Reports funded and implemented by FAO (be freelyaccessible in internet)accessible in internet)Existing soil legacy profiles for the worldSupporting regional process and national institutions in Asia, Latin‐American and Near East and North Africa through: a) systematizing theirnational soil information into a GIS format (maps and soil profiles, b) putall this information into a regional system, c) develop capacities in DigitalSoil Mapping.

Conclusions- Soil activities in general and soil mapping in particular have gone through a deep

t ff i th l t i fl i th d ti f i f ti d it i tcut-off in the last years influencing the production of information and its impact onthe decision making. This also has happened in FAO.

Soils are back on the agenda and an institutional framework to promote soil- Soils are back on the agenda and an institutional framework to promote soilresources is needed. The Global Soil Partnership is aimed to be this platform thatadvocate for soil resources. Joining forces is the only way to overcome the currentchallenges.

- FAO has been historically a key organization promoting activities on soil informationproduction and use (with some gaps). Its intergovernmental setting provide it with

iti i th t i i ll i th d l i ldrecognition in the countries, specially in the developing world.

-Soil information is fundamental, especially in addressing key needs of the countriesand regions in all fields of application Making good use of the current technologiesand regions in all fields of application. Making good use of the current technologies,tools and methods will helps to properly address the needs of soil information.

- “Enhance the quantity and quality of soil data and information” is a key pillar of theEnhance the quantity and quality of soil data and information is a key pillar of theGSP. In order to implement this activity different partners should contribute withtheir best to succeed

THANK YOUTHANK YOU