How RECSOIL works

Collaborations with the government of the country and relevant technical institutions are established to determine the project’s objectives and budget, including identification of locally relevant soil threats. Collaborations with farmers' associations, farmers and other local stakeholders are established in the selected pilot areas and agreements between the GSP and project partners are formalized.

Foundational workshops on RECSOIL protocols have been designed primarily to provide method harmonization and peer exchange among technicians and institutions, ensuring consistent and comparable results across pilot projects while aligning with international climate standards targets. Technicians involved in these harmonization workshops lead the field-level execution of the baseline assessment, including soil sampling and data collection.

Soil laboratories are selected, prioritizing laboratories participating in the Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN). Where needed, training sessions are conducted on GLOSOLAN standard operating procedures (SOPs). At the outset of the project, farmers are trained on soil evaluation techniques using materials from the Global Soil Doctors Programme.

After the preliminary selection of project areas, final participating farms are determined according to farmer willingness and land eligibility checks (using spatial data), ensuring that natural ecosystems would not be disturbed by agricultural activities under the project. Based on the final participating farms and using RECSOIL protocols, local soil scientists determine the final sampling design and additional soil health indicators to include in the project.

The full baseline assessment is conducted, including the collection of agricultural management data, visual soil assessments and laboratory analyses of current soil conditions. At a minimum, data on soil organic carbon (SOC), soil respiration, bulk density and soil productivity are collected, but additional soil health indicators are integrated and encouraged in most RECSOIL projects for locally tailored SSM recommendations.

Based on the data collected, initial carbon stocks are quantified, annual on-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are estimated and limiting factors to soil carbon sequestration and plant productivity are identified. A workshop is held to discuss these results between the farmers, local soil scientists and agronomists, and the GSP. Based on farmer feedback and local agronomic expertise, feasible, actionable SSM strategies are selected for implementation.

Participating farmers receive technical and financial support for adapting SSM to improve soil health and carbon stocks. Group workshops are held to facilitate exchange between technicians and farmers and from farmers to other farmers. Farmers implementing SSM practices lead working sessions to demonstrate practical aspects of sustainable management, and technicians provide individual support as needed to optimize adoption of the practices.

Visual soil assessments are conducted on an annual basis and agricultural management data are collected to estimate GHG emission reduction. Monitoring protocols are applied by technicians to assess the extent of SSM adoption. Farmers are incentivized to continue SSM adoption through the provision of agricultural inputs or financial remuneration, depending on stakeholder priorities and national objectives. Farmer feedback workshops are held on an annual basis to ensure the ongoing feasibility of practices, and to modify the implementation plan as needed.

After four years of SSM practice implementation, a final analysis is conducted to determine the impact of the SSM practices on soil health indicators, productivity, socioeconomic factors and GHG emissions. Using soil and land cover data of the surrounding areas – in combination with the priorities of national and regional stakeholders – additional areas are selected to be upscaled. The data collected throughout the project is used to develop an implementation plan for the practices that have had the most positive effect on soil carbon, soil health, agricultural yields and farmer livelihoods.