pillar 2: a plan of action to rouse society to the value...
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Pillar 2: A plan of action to rouse society to the value of soil
Arwyn Jones
European CommissionJoint Research Centre
IES – Land Resource Management UnitSoil Resource Assessment Unit
Members of GSP Pillar 2 WG
Promote sustainable management of soil resources for soil protection, conservation and sustainable productivity
Encourage investment, technical cooperation, policy, education awareness and extension in soil
Promote targeted soil research and development focusing on identified gaps and priorities and synergies with related productive, environmental
and social development actions
Enhance the quantity and quality of soil data and information: data collection (generation), analysis, validation, reporting, monitoring and
integration with other disciplines
Harmonization of methods, measurements and indicators for the sustainable management and protection of soil resources
Not just a talking shop -The Five Pillars of Action
Formal recognition that soils deserve greater attention.
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Process of developing the Pillar 2 Action Plan
JRC/ENSA European Soil Awareness WorkshopJames Hutton Institute, Aberdeen
September 2013
Global Soil WeekBerlin
October 2013
Pillar 2 Working Group26 Members + ITPS + GSP Secretariat
Email Exchanges
ITPS FAO, Rome April 7-11
Presentation, review, debate, revision and adoption
Working Group involved Africa: Robert Zougmore, Cornie van Huyssteen
Asia: Nizam Al-Hussainy, Kevin D. Gallagher
Europe: Arwyn Jones (Chair), Gabrielle Broll, Willie Towers, Stephen Hallett, Beata Houskova, Francesco Malucelli, Francesca Bampa, Frédéric Darboux, Franc Lobnik, Erika Micheli
Latin America: Laura Bertha Reyes Sánchez, Gonçalo Signorelli, Arnulfo Encina, Ivonne Lobos, Cristine Muggler, Carlos Saavedra, Fatima M S Moreira, Oswaldo Ernst
Middle East: Bahman Eskandare, Hedi Hamrouni
North America: Charles Rice
Oceania: Damien Field
ITPS: Pavel Krasilnikov, Jaroslava Sobocká, Carlos Henríquez, Maria de Lourdes Mendonça Santos, Milkha Singh Aulakh, Pisoot Vijarnsor
GSP: Ronald Vargas
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Pillar 2 Inter-linkages
policy
technical cooperationextension
public awarenesseducation
investment
It could argued that public awareness and education are most important…….to convince policy…..to invest
Significant Partners for Pillar 2 (not exhaustive)
1) Soil science and user community;• GSP partners• National and private research institutions• Farmers, small holders, horticulturalists, foresters and other agro-industries• Gardeners• Agro-chemical companies
2) Educationalists at all levels:• Primary and secondary schools• Further education establishments and technical collages• Universities• Youth movements and societal education programmes (third age, night schools, distance learning)
3) Intergovernmental institutions and related stakeholders: • EU institutions (EC, EP, Council, EEA, EFSA…)• UN family (UNESCO, UNEP, IUCN)• Political Unions (e.g. European Union)• NGOs (e.g. WWF, FOE) and civil and professionals associations. • Religious, community and civil organisations and leaders
4) Governments • National parliaments;• Ministries concerned with soil-related issues (e.g. environment, agriculture, urban planning, water);• Departments and Ministries of Education, Science and Culture (link to tourism and soil/landscape
interactions);• Regional administrations• National or Regional Environment (Protection) Agencies• Political lobbyist
5) Media• Television and broadcasters;• Broadsheet newspapers and magazines of high circulation;• Advertising agencies, sociologists, communication and culture specialists;• Web and social media channels/providers/bloggers…
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Policy makers – you need to work with them
Good evidence provides good policy
EU Policy DevelopmentSoil continues to be important.
Community policy making reflects the multi-functionality of soil by indirectly addressing specific soil functions (e.g. water, waste, chemicals, industrial pollution prevention, nature protection and pesticides, CAP and support measures under Rural Development, new-LFA, Energy, Climate change, Roadmap for a Resource Efficient Europe, Communication on land….)
7EAP … by 2020 land is managed sustainably, soil is adequately protected and the remediation of contaminated sites is well underway …supported by the adoption of targets on soil and on land as a resource, and land planning objectives.
Rio+20 (Kyoto-LULUCF, CBD, CCD) & Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals
Policy goalsVision: A greater appreciation of the value of soil at all levels
of society.
Soils across Europe will be managed sustainably and pressures leading to degradation will be reduced to ensure the provision of essential services for current and future generations.
Understanding that the competition for land should reflect the value of soil, especially in urban environments where vital soil functions should be maintained.
Improved management of agricultural soils to ensure food security and safety while playing a greater role in the mitigation of the consequences of climate change.
Reduce and prevent soil pollution (including dealing with historical contamination).
Recognise the value of soil biota and the need to protect and enhance soil biodiversity.
Policy goals- II
Need to focus attention on priority areas – but need to understand trends and impacts of degradational processes.
Need robust and current evidence base to guide those who are actively managing land surfaces and support regulation and incentives where necessary to drive further action.
Need for systematic and harmonized (regular) data collection.
Need for societal push (policies to support awareness and education).
Pan-European approach still valid due to indirect consequences of soil loss.
Recommendations (abbreviated): Policy
1:Politicians, policy advisors, decision makers and associated agencies should be targeted, to better appreciate the true societal value of soil (i.e. environmental and economic).
2:Promote the development of appropriate guidance and policy framework so that countries undertake a harmonised assessment of the state of soil, trends, associated pressures and their impact to identify areas that provide key services and functions and those most at risk from soil degradation processes as inputs for soil protection legislation (links to Pillar 4 of the GSP).
3: Engage soil advocates at all levels to ensure that soils are part of the Sustainable Development and Post2015 agenda as suggested by the ITPS.
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Awareness Raising
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•The increased urbanisation of society and detachment from the food production process and the rural environment means that the majority of people lack a fundamental understanding of soil, functions or indeed, where their food comes from.
•Soil is not ‘glamorous’ like the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), NASA travels into space or even iconic animals and birds.
•Soil does not get the same attention as water, air, flora and fauna….out of sight, out of mind.
•So what can we do?
Issues
We are doing quite a lot already…..
And many many more…..
… even last week in the JRC!
French
FrenchPT & EN
In p
rodu
ctio
n
Key Up-coming Events
International Year of Soils 2015
•Milestone event•The opportunity of showcasing the importance of soils should be utilized for the full year, culminating in final celebrations on 5 December 2015. •Challenge organizations to be active
World Soil Day
•Celebrate the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to human well-being.
•World Soil Day should be used as a simultaneous reporting deadline for the Regional Soil Partnership to report on progress of its implementation plan / activities.
Expo 2015 Milan – Feeding the planet
•Food security theme – global event•Significant outreach and political forum•Encourage visibility of soil in national pavilions
Recommendations: Awareness9: GSP partners should jointly develop awareness approaches which can be easily adapted to different regions and scales of implementation. Under the auspices of the GSP, governments should consider investment and sustained funding to support large scale national outreach programmes.
• Investment that is needed is well beyond that is currently on offer
10: The soil science community at all levels should promote strategies to engage with society at large and work with professional communicators and social scientists. This will include the development of partnerships with major food retailers to develop public awareness campaigns.
11: The World Soil Day should be institutionalized through the Global Soil Partnership Plenary Assembly where the annual topic and its celebration is planned and implemented by all partners (GSP Secretariat, regions, countries and GSP partner institutions).
12: As a unique opportunity, the International Year of Soils 2015 should be used to engage with global stakeholders and initiatives in order to promote the crucial importance of soils for various functions such as food security, climate change adaptation and more.
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Education
Recommendations (abbreviated): Education
4: Introduce soil as a theme into the school curriculum from an early age in order to boost the understanding of its value and functions. In parallel, reverse the declining trend at tertiary level, at least through its incorporation as a compulsory cross-cutting discipline for agriculture and other environmental science students.
5: Promotion of soil education to public society and soil users through diverse and current communication channels (e.g. e-learning, distance courses, social networks and web forums).
6: Soil scientists should be encouraged and rewarded to engage with other disciplines to highlight the broad functionality of soil.
7: A framework should be developed in order to support the participation of young soils scientists from developing world to participate in international training events.
8: Documentation, tools and curricula need to be updated and developed to adequately supply training institutions at all levels with evidence based information about soil science, sustainable use of soils and the interaction between soils and the broader natural resource environment as well as other societal disciplines such as economy, social science, communication science, etc..
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Extension, Technical Cooperation,
Investment
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ExtensionSoil extension services provide a vital link between soil users, communities,
land managers and other users of soil and the science community. In essence, this is an additional type of awareness raising but driven by
specific technical need, for example engineers, conservationists, archaeologists and planners.
Technical cooperation Technical cooperation aims to mobilise resources for soil-protective agriculture, forestry, rural development, food security, nutrition and
resilience (Horizon 2020).
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Investment Increased investment is a tangible product of growing awareness on the
importance of soil resources. Thus, the growth of investments would reflect the effectiveness of increased awareness.
There is a high interest by private investors to own healthy and fertile soils.
Investments should target relevant skills and support development and entrepreneurship among soil users. It should stimulate synergies and
diversification.
More effective public and private investments are needed among all ranges of soil users, at small scale and large scale, ensuring more sustainable
projects.
Rural development programmes would make it more attractive limit urban migration and aging rural population.
Recommendations: Extension, Tech-Coop and Investment13 (Extension): Extension services should be supported (politically and financially), developed and revitalised to reflect the multi-functional services of soil and expanded to ensure the sustainable use of soil and to reduce land degradation. Regional priorities need to be determined in terms of the disparities in agricultural extension knowledge, expertise, motivation and support, in order to develop solutions to these challenges and set goals for their implementation.
14 (Extension): Soil information and priorities, as well as SSM priorities, technologies and approaches should be professionally and efficiently communicated to policy makers by skilled communicators. The GSP, its regions and countries should promote channels of communication to efficiently and consistently provide policy makers with the necessary information to promote SSM through the policy environment.
15 (Extension): Soil extension programmes such as the Soil Doctors Programme should be established in order to provide support and capacity development for extension on soils.
16 (Tech Coop): Scientific and technical cooperation should be promoted and strengthened between partners of the Regional Soil Partnerships and other cooperation schemes. Such programmes should be implemented.
17 (Investment): The GSP should foster investments in soils to benefit society and future generations through national programmes the establishment of the ”Healthy Soils Multi- Partner Platform” to engage the in-kind financial contribution from resource partners to strengthen implementation of GSP activities under the five plans of action.
Assessment and evidence-base of the return from investments (including cost-benefit analysis) should be generated to provide soil users and policy makers with evidence based success stories for decision making.
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Concluding remarks• Pillar 2 is an ambitious initiative but one endorsed by all FAO
Member States (and therefore Europe and the EU)
• Scale change in implementation – together with supporting investment
• It won’t happen overnight; recommendations should be tiered into short, medium and long term priorities
• Not intended to replace existing initiatives but to encourage and support them
• And to make them grow bigger• And to share experiences
• How to implement through the Regional Soil Partnership? • Focused WG to develop Actions and to ensure relevant
links to other Pillars
