About the prize

The award will contribute in a timely manner to raise awareness of policy makers and the general public about possible solutions to tackle acute national and local problems of soil degradation, and to encourage all stakeholders and soil practitioners to engage in field-oriented work, with direct contributions to the preservation of the environment, food security and poverty alleviation as specified in the Revised World Soil Charter .

The Glinka World Soil Prize aims to keep up the momentum generated by the International Year of Soils 2015.

Who can be nominated ?

Nominees should have made outstanding achievements in implementing the principles and recommended actions of the revised World Soil Charter adopted by the FAO Conference in June 2015, and the achievement should contribute to one of the five pillars of the GSP (a proven impact at field level will be an added value).

Who can nominate?

All GSP Partners are invited to nominate candidates, either directly or on behalf of a third party. Self-nominations are not allowed and will be disqualified. Nominations can be submitted in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic or Chinese. Once filled, the form should be sent back to:

GSP Secretariat
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, B709
00153 Roma, Italy
Email: [email protected]

What is the deadline for submitting a nomination?

Completed nominations can be submitted by post or email and must be received by 16 September 2016 cob Rome time.

How does the nomination process lead to a Laureate?

The GSP Secretariat will pre-screen the applications. A short-list of the most qualified nominees will then be submitted to the World Soil Prize Selection Committee for examination and subsequent decision.

The designation of the Laureate of the Glinka World Soil Prize will be made by the World Soil Prize Selection Committee, which is composed of eleven members: the Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Technical Panel of Soils; the Chairperson of the Global Soil Partnership Plenary Assembly; the Chairs of the nine Regional and Sub-regional Soil Partnerships. A representative of the GSP Secretariat will act as the secretary of the Committee, in non-voting capacity.

The award of the World Soil Prize will take place during the annual World Soil Day celebration (5^th December) and consist of a USD 15,000 award and Glinka Medal. The Laureate will deliver the Glinka Lecture during the award ceremony and a video-message will be displayed during the opening of the corresponding Global Soil Partnership Plenary Assembly.

Who is Konstantin Dmitrievich Glinka?

Konstantin Glinka (1867-1927) was a prominent Russian soil scientist who is credited for his unique contribution to understanding the principles of geographical distribution of soils and extensive activities on the exploration, mapping and assessment of vast areas of Siberia, the Far East and Central Asia, as well as his important studies in the areas of soil minerology, chemistry and paleopedology.

To whom was the First Glinka World Soil Prize awarded?

December 5, 2016 - The First ever Glinka World Soil Prize was awarded on the occasion of WSD 2016 to the Instituto Geografico Agustin Codazzi from Colombia. The Institute has a long tradition in promoting sustainable soil management in Colombia and for developing/building capacities of Latin American scientists and soil fieldwork practitioners. IGAC was recognized for its major contributions to international soil classification and data collection with special reference to soil resource inventories, and advanced geographical research and modeling programmes. In particular, IGAC was acknowledged for having rapidly modernized geospatial technologies and developed capacities in Latin America, concretely promoting sustainable soil management and the protection of soil resources which exert a direct impact on the well-being of population. It currently exerts a critical role in post-conflict Colombia as it guides allocation of soils in the land restitution programme. Watch the Glinka World Soil Prize Video on Youtube

Current Sponsors of the Glinka World Soil Prize: Russian Federation