(NewMediaWire) - July 24, 2014 - Informational video available from the
Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils, which is composed of 27 top soil
experts representing all the regions of the world: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aunmD28Vlgw&feature=youtu.be
Urgent action is required to improve the health of the world's limited soil resources and stop land degradation, so as to ensure that future generations have enough supplies of food, water, energy and raw materials, government representatives and experts meeting at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations warned.
The Global Soil Partnership (GSP) has endorsed a series of action plans at its plenary assembly in Rome today to safeguard soil resources which provide the basis for global agricultural production. Informational video available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aunmD28Vlgw&feature=youtu.be
Recommendations include the implementation
of strong regulations and corresponding investments by governments for the
sustainable management of soils in ways that contribute to the eradication of
hunger, food insecurity and poverty.
"Soil is the basis for food, feed, fuel and fibre production," said
Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General. "Without soils we cannot
sustain life on earth and where soil is lost it cannot be renewed on a human
timeline. The current escalating rate of soil degradation threatens the
capacity of future generations to meet their needs.
"That's why the adoption of Global Plans of Action to sustainably use and
protect soils is a major achievement. But we cannot stop here. We need
commitments from countries and civil society to put the plan into reality. This
requires political will and investments to save the precious soil resources our
food production systems depend on," Semedo said.
Soils: easy to lose, hard to recover
The area of productive soils in the world is limited and faces increasing
pressure from competing uses such as cropping, forestry and pastures/rangeland,
urbanization, as well as energy production and mineral extraction, experts at
the three-day meeting warned.
Soils represent at least a quarter of global biodiversity, and play a key role
in the supply of clean water and resilience to floods and drought. Crucially,
plant and animal life depend on primary nutrient recycling through soil
processes.
Demographic pressure
While some parts of Africa and South America offer scope for expansion in
agriculture, according to FAO, global population which is expected to exceed 9
billion by 2050 - resulting in a 60 percent increase in the demand for food,
feed and fibre - will put an even greater strain on land resources.
Some 33 percent of soil is moderately to highly degraded due to erosion,
nutrient depletion, acidification, salinization, compaction and chemical
pollution.
The resulting damage to soil affects livelihoods, ecosystem services, food
security and human well-being.
Soils are also both affected by, and may contribute to, climate change. For
example, sustainable management of soil resources can impact positively on
climate change through carbon sequestration and a reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions, and also by mitigating desertification processes.
Reversing the trend
The Global Soil Partnership, which brings together a broad range of government
and non-government stakeholders, stresses the increasing need for governments
to preserve soils and make the necessary investments. A Healthy Soils Facility
was established with this aim.
The global soil community decided to establish global programmes for the
promotion of sustainable soil management, soil conservation and soil
restoration. Interventions should be based on the use of suitable technologies
and sustainable and inclusive policies that directly involve local communities
in actions to protect soils. In particular, there is a need to prioritize the
safeguarding and management of organic carbon rich soils, notably peatlands and
permafrost areas.
A global soil information system will be established to measure progress made
and the status of soil resources. Considering that awareness-raising, education
and extension on soils is much needed, a special programme for capacity
development will also be established. In addition, the first ever Status of
World Soil Resources Report is set to be launched on 5 December 2015.
The UN has recognized 5 December as World Soil
Day, and 2015 as the International Year of Soils.
KEY FACTS:
• In Africa, approximately 30 percent of
land is potentially suitable for agriculture. Yet, soil erosion and nutrient
depletion are already affecting these soils. In Somalia, only 1.8 percent of its
land is arable. Yet, annual soil loss through erosion in some areas can reach
more than 140 tons/ha/year.
• In Latin America, it is estimated that the
natural potential soils for intensive agriculture occupy only 25 percent of the
continent. Still, soil degradation is a major challenge in the region.
• Since the 19th century, an estimated 60 percent of carbon stored
in soils and vegetation has been lost as a result of land use changes, such as
clearing land for agriculture and cities.
• The first metre of Low Activity Clay soils (the majority of the upland soils
in the humid and sub-humid tropics) contains approximately 185 Gigatonnes of
organic carbon - an amount which doubles that of organic carbon stored in the
Amazonian vegetation. Through unsustainable soil management practices, this
carbon could be released to the atmosphere, aggravating global warming linked
to the burning of fossil fuels. A release of just 0.1 percent of the carbon now
contained in Europe's soils would be equal to
the annual emissions from 100 million cars.
AUDIO:
Interview
with FAO's soils expert Ronald Vargas
VIDEO:
Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils - boosting sustainable soil management
LEARN MORE:
Agenda: GSP Plenary Assembly - Second Session
FAO Natural Resources and Environment Department
GSP 5 pillars of action
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