Summary

The International Technical Workshop on Biological Management of Soil Ecosystems for Sustainable Agriculture was organized as a contribution to the joint programme of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and FAO in accordance with FAO’s mandate on sustainable agriculture and food security and with Decision V/5 of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the CBD.

More than 45 participants from more than 18 countries, representing a heterogeneous range of scientists and practitioners from each region, joined efforts to review and discuss the concept and practices of integrated soil management, share successful experiences and identify priorities for action.

PURPOSE OF THE WORKSHOP

The specific objectives of the workshop were:

Share knowledge among a range of experts from all regions.
Develop and promote guiding principles and good practices for enhancing soil biodiversity and its functions as part of an integrated approach for the management of land resources and agricultural ecosystems.
Provide technical guidance to realize the benefits of biological management of soil ecosystems in terms of enhanced productivity and sustainability.
Agree on the strategy and priority actions for implementing the International Initiative on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Soil Biodiversity, as part of an integrated agricultural development process including capacity building, assessment and monitoring, adaptive management, and mainstreaming.

DISCUSSION AND FINDINGS

The participants reviewed and discussed the case studies presented. These case studies reflected a range of production systems and socio-economic conditions. The participants focused their attention on the areas of indicators and assessment of soil health, adaptive management and innovative technologies with a view to identifying lessons learned and knowledge gaps. Based on working-group discussions, plenary sessions and existing knowledge, experiences and materials, the participants laid the foundations for the development of practical guidelines to promote on-farm research and technology development in integrated soil biological management (i.e. strategies, approaches and technologies) with a view to enhancing the productivity and sustainability of diverse land use systems and conserving soil and associated agricultural biodiversity.

FOLLOW-UP

The participants suggested that progress could be made through focusing on the following strategic areas of action:

Increasing recognition of the essential services provided by soil biodiversity across all production systems and its relation to land management, through information sharing and networking, raising public awareness, education and capacity building.
Capacity building to promote the adoption of integrated approaches and coordinated activities and processes for the sustainable use of soil biodiversity and enhancement of agro-ecosystem functions; in particular, in the areas of assessment and monitoring, adaptive management; and research and development (R&D).
Developing partnerships and cooperative actions through mainstreaming and cooperation.

It is intended that the suggested principles, development process, strategy and priority actions presented in this workshop report provide a preliminary basis to further stimulate exchange of information and experiences among countries and relevant institutions. This should lead to a coordinated process for the establishment and conduct of the Soil Biodiversity Initiative (SBI), as established under COP Decision V/5 (Nairobi, April 2002), as a cross-cutting initiative within the CBD programme of work on agricultural biodiversity, and through the coordination and with the technical and policy support of FAO.

The findings and recommendations in regard to the three main thematic areas considered at the Londrina workshop are presented in the form of a framework for action that outlines proposed objectives and activities. It is envisaged that this framework will provide the basis for the further development of the strategy and action plan for implementation of the International Initiative on the Conservation and Sustainable use of Soil Biodiversity, further referred to as the SBI, as an integral part of the programme of work on agricultural biodiversity. It will be a partnership effort by FAO, the CBD Secretariat and Parties, and other interested partner organizations and bodies.

FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION AS A BASIS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOIL BIODIVERSITY INITIATIVE
Objective 1	-	Sharing of knowledge and information, and awareness raising.
*Activity 1.1*	-	Compilation and dissemination of case studies for use in awareness raising and capacity building.
*Activity 1.2*	-	Creation and strengthening of networking arrangements for sharing of information, experiences and expertise with a focus on supporting local initiatives on the ground rather than institution building.
*Activity 1.3*	-	Enhancing public awareness, education and knowledge on integrated soil management and agro-ecological approaches.
*Activity 1.4*	-	Development of information systems and databases.
Objective 2	-	Capacity building for the development and transfer of knowledge of soil biodiversity and ecosystem management into farmers’ practices.
*Activity 2.1*	-	Evaluating capacity building needs of farmers and other land managers, researchers and development programmes for integrated soil biological and ecosystems management.
*Activity 2.2*	-	Development of soil bioindicators and tools for assessment and monitoring of soil health and ecosystem functioning.
*Activity 2.3*	-	Promotion of adaptive management approaches for the development and uptake of improved soil biological management practices, technologies and policies that enhance soil health and ecosystem function and contribute to sustained agricultural productivity and livelihoods.
*Activity 2.4*	-	Mobilization of targeted participatory R&D in order to enhance understanding of soil biodiversity functions and ecosystem resilience in relation to land use and sustainable agriculture.
Objective 3	-	Strengthening collaboration among actors and institutions and mainstreaming soil biodiversity and biological management into agricultural and land management and rehabilitation programmes.
*Activity 3.1*	-	Mainstreaming soil biodiversity and ecosystem management in agricultural and land management programmes and policies.
*Activity 3.2*	-	Develop partnerships and collaborative activities for development and implementation of the Soil Biodiversity Initiative as an FAO-CBD partnership.

“The condition of our soils ultimately determines human health by serving as a major medium for food and fibre production and a primary interface with the environment, influencing the quality of the air we breathe and water we drink. Thus, there is a clear linkage between soil quality and human and environmental health. As such, the health of our soil resources is a primary indicator of the sustainability of our land management practices.”

(Acton and Gregorich, 1995)