Introduction to the GSP, FAO - Ronald Vargas

Introduction to the
Ronald Vargas
Amman, 17 June 2014

SOILS 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.

Pillar Definition
Availability Supply side of food security. Food is physically
available 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 access to
food. Shortfalls in food availability are a sign of
food insecurity.
FOOD 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).

STATUS OF FOOD INSECURITY
Food insecurity –
need to produce
more healthy food

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

APPLICATION OF SOIL INFORMATION
Yield Gap Assessment

 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 SOILS
“Because it is everywhere, we tend to
overlook the fact that soil is a limited
natural resource”.

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

Structure of the GSP
Partners
GLOBAL SOIL PARTNERSHIP
Intergovernmental Technical Panel on
Soils
GSP Secretariat
Composed of
Guided/Advised by
Facilitated by
Through Regional Soil
Partnerships
Plenary
Assembly

GSP 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.

FIRST 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

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.

STATUS OF WORLD SOIL RESOURCES
REPORT
• 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.

THE 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.

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.”
Recommendation 4: Appropriate sustainable soil management practices and systems
should be identified for all land uses at regional and national levels using existing
databases, adapted according to site characteristics and land user needs, and
implemented at appropriate scales to restore and maintain soil functions and ecosystem
services.
Recommendation 5: Sustainable intensification of production should be supported by
balanced soil fertility management using a range of available nutrients and appropriate
physical management practices without causing negative environmental impacts.
Recommendation 7: A global GSP system is needed to coordinate and monitor the
promotion of sustainable soil management, implementation of specific activities aimed at
addressing soil conservation, as well as soil restoration actions. This should be supported
by the development of regional implementation plans, as well as the regional facilitation,
coordination and monitoring of implementation.

PRINCIPLES FOR SUSTAINABLE SOIL
MANAGEMENT

Way forward Pillar 4 Plan of Action
Global 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

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

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

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.

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

HEALTHY SOILS MULTIPARTNER PLATFORM
PGM/MUL/2014-2017/GSP
• 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;

CRUCIAL COMPONENTS OF THE PLATFORM
Soil Conservation
and Soil
Restoration
Sustainable Soil
Management
Soil Research,
extension and
capacity
development
Awareness
raising, education
and policy
dialogue
Strengthening national
soil institutions
Soil information
Systems and SoilSTAT

WORLD SOIL DAY AND INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF
SOILS 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.
2015

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

Introduction to the GSP, FAO - Ronald Vargas

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Introduction to the GSP, FAO - Ronald Vargas

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