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Annex 3. Working group composition and guiding questions


A series of questions were designed to help guide the discussions in each working group towards practical solutions and approaches on how to use the existing knowledge.

Working groups addressed three main themes during two sessions:

Theme 1. Assessment and monitoring;
Theme 2. Adaptive management;
Theme 3. Innovative technologies and risk alleviation.

The first session concentrated on identifying and characterizing the available practical approaches and tools, based on what is known and what can be used, and how. It focused on building and describing the available knowledge base in each of the themes.

The second session focused on identifying and characterizing the various gaps (knowledge, resources, policy environment, etc.) in each theme, and how these can be overcome.

The gap identification helped create a common understanding and background for the third session, when the working groups discussed capacity building and mainstreaming under each of the three themes.

A. Working group on assessment and monitoring

Galdino Andrade, Brazil
Eleusa Barros, Brazil
George Brown, Brazil
Julio Centeno, Brazil
Jefferson Costa, Brazil
Tsewang Dorji, Bhutan
Dirceo Gassen, Brazil
Abdoulaye Mando, Burkina Faso
Adriana Montañez, FAO
Fatima Moreira, Brazil
Clive Pankhurst, Australia
Nuria Ruiz, France
Stella Zerbino, Uruguay

Session 1 - Objective

Overview of knowledge base and issues to help land users, technicians and policy-makers understand soil health and the value and use of soil bioindicators to measure or observe and evaluate soil health now and in the future.

Issues for discussion

1. Which indicators

2. How to identify indicators of value to farmers and how to establish a soil health monitoring process with them.

Session 2 - Objective

What are the gaps in terms of knowledge and technical constraints, and how can they be addressed through projects, guidelines, capacity building etc.?

Provide clear principles and practical approaches, materials and means to guide land users, policy-makers and planners in the selection and use of bioindicators to improve land management practices and understand the linkages between soil biodiversity and the maintenance of soil functions.

Issues for discussion

1. How to develop and provide a framework or guide for soil health.

2. Identify resource persons, institutions and partnerships to be in charge of training and capacity building on different topics for different stakeholders (technicians, students, and especially farmers and other land managers), and identify current programmes where various representative pilot sites are well characterized and documented to obtain baseline data on healthy soils under different conditions.

3. Identify ongoing or recent research, field experiences and expertise on soil health indicators that can be built on. How to capacitate or train the farmer in the use of bioindicators (participatory approaches). Collation of available materials and creation of new materials (e.g. interpretive guidelines for the use of soil health indicators). How to develop networking and materials development and dissemination capacity.

4. Mainstreaming.

B. Working group on adaptive management

Dan Bennack, Inst. Ecología, Xalapa, Mexico
Gustavo Bernal, INIAP, Ecuador
Lijbert Brussaard, EU/Univ. Wageningen
Sally Bunning, FAO, Rome
Ademir Calegari, BrazilArnaudo Colosi, Brazil
Gabriel Fernandez Brazil
Richard Fowler, ACT, Africa
Avilio Franko, Brazil
Michele Gauthier, CBD Sec.
Fatima Guimarais, Brazil
Patrick Lavelle, IRD, France
Rusvel Rios, CAMAREN, Ecuador
O.P. Rupela, ICRISAT, India
Eolia Treto-Hernández, Cuba
Martin Wood, Univ. Reading, United Kingdom

Session 1 - Objective

Provide the basis for the development of practical guidelines on the basis of existing know-how, experiences and materials 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.

Issues for discussion

1. Brief overview and agreement on adaptive management and integrated biological management concepts for soil and agro-ecosystems.

2. Discussion on opportunities for integrated biological management of soils in different farming contexts (basic principles, techniques, practices and approaches; contributions to agricultural sustainability).

3. Identify major approaches with wider potential such as organic agriculture, conservation agriculture, diversified systems and other promising approaches and techniques, and suggest how to build on them, for example building on the following examples for representative farming systems.

Session 2 - Objective

Evaluate farmers’ needs and constraints for adoption of biological management of soil ecosystems and adaptation of current practices in a range of different managed systems

Issues for discussion

1. What is known and where are the gaps? With a focus on solutions on how to overcome constraints and lack of knowledge in different agro-ecosystems and socio-economic context, in particular opportunities to strengthen collaboration and capacity building in the different regions, themes, etc.

2. Identification of major technical gaps and farmer needs and potential solutions.

3. Concrete suggestions for addressing major gaps and implementation of potential solutions.

Expected results

Identify solutions in terms of capacity building, partnerships and mainstreaming to overcome constraints (technical, human, socio-economic, cultural and organizational) in different agro-ecosystems and socio-economic contexts and regions.

C. Working group on innovation and risk management

Paul Cannon, CABI, United Kingdom (Rapporteur)
Felix Dakora, Univ. of Cape Town, South Africa
Diva DeAndrade, Brazil
Mariangela Hungria, EMBRAPA, Brazil
Marcio Lambrais, Brazil
Regina Luizao, Brazil
Ieda Mendes, Brazil
Klaus Merckens, SEKEM, Egypt
Odo Primavesi, Brazil
Rattan Lal, University of Ohio, United States of America
P.S. Ramakrishnan, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
Bikram Senapati, Sambalpur University, India
Josef Steinberger, Bar-Ilan University, Israel

Session 1 - Objective

Overview of available innovative and promising new technologies and opportunities for their wider use and adaptation with a focus on risk alleviation (human and environmental) and systems approaches.

Issues for discussion

Promising techniques and their potential and evaluation of risks and application of ecosystem approach.

Session 2 - Objective

Identify strategies and approaches for the well-informed and safe use and adaptation of techniques or biological methods including policy, institutional and organizational strategies and actions.

Issues for discussion

Expected results

Promote the wider use and local adaptation of safe and promising technologies to enhance the use of soil biodiversity and efficiency of soil biological activity through the identification of concrete opportunities for collaboration, training, networking and piloting activities within a conducive and supportive policy environment.


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