Launch workshop of the Global Soil Partnership in Eastern-Southern Africa
"Towards an African Soil Partnership”
Participants: representatives from Eastern and Southern Africa national soil institutions and regional organizations
Background
The Global Soil Partnership (GSP) was launched in FAO headquarters in September 2011 to raise awareness on the vital role of soil resources for achieving food security, adapting to and mitigating climate change and guaranteeing provision of environmental services among decision makers. Member countries further approved the Terms of Reference of the GSP and urged FAO to assist in its implementation.
GSP aims to improve governance of the limited soil resources of the planet in order to guarantee healthy and productive soils for a food secure world, as well as support other essential ecosystem services, in accordance with the sovereign right of each State over its natural resources. GSP five pillars of action are:
- Promote sustainable management of soil resources;
- Encourage investment, technical cooperation, policy, education awareness and extension in soils.
- Promote targeted soil research and development focusing on identified gaps and priorities.
- Enhance the quantity and quality of soil data and information;
- Harmonization of methods, measurements and indicators for sustainable soil management.
As the core of the GSP is the establishment of Regional Soil Partnerships to contextualize the needs and priorities of soil actions to be implemented in each region, the East and Southern Africa consultation is called for in Nairobi, Kenya for launching the initiative among the East and Southern Africa partners.
Objectives
The objectives of the workshop will be to:
(i) launch the Global Soil Partnership in the region;
(ii) Stocktaking on the status, needs and priorities of soil activities in the region;
(iii) jointly define a roadmap for the establishment of the African Soil Partnership.
Apart from the establishment of the Regional Soil Partnership, it is expected to produce a joint report portraying the main needs and priorities towards sustainable soil management in the different countries as an input for a plan of action to be implemented by the partnership.
