International Network on Soil Fertility and Fertilizers (INSOILFER)

Soil health is the ability of the soil to sustain the productivity, diversity, and environmental services of terrestrial ecosystems (FAO and ITPS, 2020). Efforts and investments focused on increasing plant nutrient uptake and content can be lost if soil management is unsustainable or if soils are unhealthy. Suppose soils are compacted, eroded, nutrient-depleted, soil organic matter-depleted, contaminated, acidified, or present salinity problems. In that case, they cannot produce plants that contain the nutrients necessary for human health nor can they assimilate nutrients added by fertilization.

In response to the compounding climate-food-energy-finance crises, it is necessary to produce better (quantity, diversity with quality) with less (fewer inputs of resources, with fewer impacts on the environment) and with equity along the food value chains (from environmental services to consumption). Sustainable soil management is essential to preserve and increase nutrient content in soils, plants, animals, and humans. In tandem with soil health, sustainable fertilization is an essential link in the food security chain and should be considered within holistic programs as a means to achieve zero hunger and climate change mitigation.

The network focuses on the sustainable increase of soil fertility, boosting its physical, chemical and biological properties. The GSOIL4N (Global Symposium on Soils for Nutrition) held in 2022 identified the gaps and challenges to the sustainable increase of soil fertility and issued recommendations to overcome soil organic carbon loss, nutrient imbalances, environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) associated with unsustainable crop practices.

INSOILFER was established based on the recommendations of the Outcome Document of the Global Symposium on Soils for Nutrition (GSOIL4N). The network is a vehicle to implement the International Code of Conduct for the Sustainable Use and Management of Fertilizers and the Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management.

The network's primary goal is to channel collective action towards sustainable soil fertility and fertilizer management, with the vision of achieving healthy and fertile soils by 2030 and contributing to the transformation of agrifood systems.

The overall goals of this new network are:

• implementation of sustainable and balanced soil fertility management for food security;
• promotion of actions to enhance the link between nourished healthy soils and crop, animal and human nutrition;
• avoidance of the underuse, misuse, and overuse of fertilizers;
• technical and technological capacity strengthening through coordination among existing networks; and
• evaluation and improvement of the safety and quality of fertilizers.

By joining INSOILFER, you contribute to addressing the gaps in and challenges to the sustainable increase of soil fertility and issue recommendations to overcome soil fertility loss, avoiding the underuse, misuse and overuse of fertilizers. Members collaborate to avoid nutrient imbalances and contribute to improving soil and fertilizer management. The members exchange knowledge with stakeholders working on the technical aspects of soil fertility and fertilizers.

INSOIFER welcomes representatives from governments, academia, laboratories, the private sector, NGOs and farmers associations in addition to any other stakeholders from around the world who share the vision of achieving healthy and fertile soils by 2030 and want to contribute to the transformation of agrifood systems.

If you are interested in joining INSOILFER, please fill out the form to become a part of the network. Once your registration has been processed, your organization will be included on the interactive map showing the location of INSOILFER members. INSOILFER membership is free of charge and its success is based on the active and voluntary participation of each and every one of its members. Upon registration, you will receive details about joining the network,  topics to be addressed, governance structure, operating guidelines, and preparations for working group meetings.

Stay tuned for updates and further engagement!

INSOILFER governance is composed of the Chair and three Vice-Chairs who lead each of the working groups, the Technical Committees and the GSP Secretariat as facilitator and coordinator of the process. INSOILFER members endorsed the governance in the First Working Group Meetings held in November 2023 (see image below).

The details of these meetings and the elections are available for consultation here. The Terms of Reference considered for electing the Chair, Vice-Chairs, Technical Committees and Reference Institutions are available for consultation.