THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL TECHNICAL PANEL ON

SOILS (ITPS)2013-2015

Main activities and outcomes

Luca Montanarella (ITPS Chair)

Mandate of the ITPS(Rule VI of the GSP Rules of Procedures)

a) provide scientific and technical advice on global soil issues primarily to the GSP and in relation to specific requests submitted by global or regional institutions (UNCCD, UNFCCC, CBD)

b) advocate for the inclusion of sustainable soil management into different development agendas.

c) review and follow up on the situation and issues related to soils in the contexts of food security, use and management of natural resources, ecosystem services provision, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and other relevant areas.

d) review and endorse from a technical viewpoint the GSP Plans of Action.

e) follow up on the implementation of these Plans of Action with due attention to their impact and contributions to different global policies and initiatives related to sustainable development, MDGs, food security, climate change adaptation and other subject matters.

f) in exceptional cases, when complex technical matters arise, request the Plenary Assembly and the Secretariat to form technical committees aiming to gather specific advice.

UNCCDCBD

Climate Change

BiodiversityDesertification

IPCC

SPIIPBES

Food Security

Bridging the gap between soil science and policy

THE 27 SCIENTSTS MEMBERS OF THE FIRST ITPS 2013-2015Proposed by GSP Partners and nominated by Member Countries of FAO

NORTH AMERICAJon Hempel – United States

John Daniel Pennock – Canada

EUROPE Helaina Black - United Kingdom

Jaroslava Sobocká - Slovak RepublicDominique Arrouays – France

Luca Montanarella – ItalyPavel Krasilnikov - Russia

AFRICAIsaurinda Dos Santos Baptista Costa -

Cape VerdeMartin Yemefack – Cameroon

Victor Chude – NigeriaMohamed Badraoui – Morocco

Tekalign Mamo - Ethiopia

ASIAGan Lin Zhang – ChinaMilkha Singh Aulakh – IndiaKazuyuki Yagi – JapanSuk Young Hong – Republic of KoreaPisoot Vijarnsorn – Thailand

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEANMaria de Lourdes Mendonca Santos –

BrazilMiguel Taboada – Argentina

Carlos Roberto Henríquez - Costa RicaDavid Espinosa Victoria – Mexico

Julio Alegre - Peru

NEAR EASTSeyed Kazem Alavi Panah – Iran

Elsiddig Ahmed ElMustafa ElSheikh – SudanAbdullah AlShankiti – Saudi Arabia

SOUTH WEST PACIFICMarta Camps Arbestain - New Zealand

Neil McKenzie - Australia

INTERGOVERNMENTAL TECHNICAL PANEL ON SOILS

What have we achieved: Finalization and endorsement of the 5 plans of actions for the 5 pillars of the

GSP Revision of the FAO World Soil Charter Support to the development of Regional Soil Partnerships Support to the development of the proposals for Post-2015 Sustainable

Development goals (SDGs) Report on the Status of World’s Soil Resources (SWSR) Concept note for the development of Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil

Management (SSM) Links and collaborations with other scientific panels, like the Science Policy

Interface (SPI) of UNCCD and the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)

6http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership/intergovernmental-technical-panel-on-soils/en/

Plans of action for the 5 GSP PillarsThe ITPS finalized the 5 plans of action for the GSP Pillars of activity:1. Promote sustainable management of soil resources for soil protection, conservation

and sustainable productivity2. Encourage Investment, Technical Cooperation, Policy, Education, Awareness and

Extension3. Promote targeted soil research and development focusing on identified gaps,

priorities and synergies with related productive, environmental and social development actions

4. Enhance the quantity and quality of soil data and information: data collection (generation), analysis, validation, reporting, monitoring and integration with other disciplines

5. Harmonization of methods, measurements and indicators for the sustainable management and protection of soil resources

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Revision of the FAO World Soil Charter• The first World Soil Charter (WSC) was conceived and formulated, negotiated

and adopted by the FAO member countries in the 1981 FAO Conference • The Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) was tasked to

produce a new version of this WSC making use of wide consultations within the international soil community in order to assist with the process. 

• The ITPS was able to submit a revised text to the GSP Plenary Assembly at its second meeting in July 2014.

• After the further changes introduced by the Assembly, the revised WSC was endorsed by the 24th session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) in October 2014 and by the FAO Council in December 2014.

• Coinciding with 2015 the International Year of Soils, member countries during the 39th FAO Conference unanimously endorsed the new World Soil Charter as a vehicle to promote and institutionalize sustainable soil management at all levels.

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Development of Regional Soil Partnerships

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Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals

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Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture Target 2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality. 

Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Target 3.9 By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination. 

Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity lossTarget 15.3 By 2020, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land-degradation-neutral world 

Report on the Status of World’s Soil Resources (SWSR) First ever comprehensive global assessment of the status of world’s

soil resources A large collective effort of more then 200 soil scientists coordinated by

the ITPS A 600 page report completed in less then 12 month providing a

comprehensive overview of the status of soils in the world Full report consisting of 3 main parts: Global Soil Resources, Global Soil

Change and Impact and responses Complete regional assessments for each of the 7 FAO Regions Summary for policy makers for your consideration and endorsement

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Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management (SSM)

Concept note developed following a specific request from COAG

Close links with the Pillar 1 of the GSP

Provides also elements for a potential indicator for the soil related

SDGs (Area of land under Sustainable Soil Management practices)

Will be one of the main areas of work of the next ITPS

12May 2, 2023

Links and collaborations with other scientific panels

Close links developed with the Science – Policy Interface (SPI) of UNCCD (joint meeting at the 2015 Global Soil Week)

Close links established with the Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES):

Appointment of the ITPS Chairperson as co-chair of the thematic assessment on land degradation and restoration

Still lacking closer collaboration with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Conclusions and final recommendations ITPS mandate is too short (2 years), should be prolonged to 3 years Continuity between panels need to be assured by a proportion (50%)

of renewed nominations for outgoing panel members Independence and scientific excellence are of crucial importance Good regional balance but still lacking adequate gender balance Location of ITPS plenary meetings should be rotating among the 7 FAO

regions Closer involvement of the ITPS in the implementation process of the 5

GSP plans of action Closer collaboration with the climate change scientific community

(IPCC) needs to be developed

Thank you!