5th Annual Meeting of the International Network on Soil Biodiversity (NETSOB)
The 5th Annual Meeting of the International Network on Soil Biodiversity (NETSOB) under the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) will take place on 15 April 2026, within the framework of the Global Soil Biodiversity Conference. The meeting will be held in a hybrid format, with some delegates participating onsite in Victoria, Canada, and others joining remotely via Zoom.
The network supports the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in implementing the Plan of Action (2020–2030) for the International Initiative for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Soil Biodiversity.
AGENDA
15 April 2026, hybrid | Global Soil Biodiversity Conference | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Session 1 – 5th NETSOB Annual Meeting Pacific Standard Time (UTC -8)
08:30–08:35
Opening of the NETSOB annual meeting
Brajesh Singh, NETSOB Chair (online)
08:35–08:45
NETSOB organization, objective and goals
Tara Dirilgen, NETSOB Vice-Chair
08:45–09:00
Progress of the WG1 - Measuring and Monitoring Soil Biodiversity*
Cesar Marin, NETSOB Vice-Chair and lead of WG 1
09:00–09:15
Progress of the WG2 – Sustainable Management and Conservation *
Jeff Battigelli, NETSOB Vice-Chair and lead of WG 2
09:15–09:30
Progress of the WG3 and WG4 - Economics and Policies related to Soil Biodiversity*
Gian Luca Bagnara, NETSOB Vice-Chair and lead of WG 3
09:30–09:50
Election of NETSOB Chair:
– Presentation of candidates
– Voting
Moderated by Natalia Rodriguez Eugenio, GSP Secretariat
09:50–10:20
Discussion and endorsement of NETSOB workplan 2026–2027
Moderated by NETSOB New Chair and Vice-Chairs
10:20–10:30
Closing of the session
New NETSOB Chair
Each item includes 10 minutes of Q&A. Participants will be invited to use the Q&A function on Zoom. Questions that are not addressed live will be answered in the meeting report.
Session 2 – Lunch Symposium: Soil biodiversity monitoring Pacific Standard Time (UTC -8)
12:30–12:35
Welcome remarks
Thorunn Wolfram, GSP Secretary
12:35–12:45
Soil Biodiversity within the Kunming-Montral Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF)
Monica Kobayashi, CBD Secretariat
12:45–12:55
Soil biodiversity monitoring scheme in SoilBON
Carlos Guerra, Coimbra University
12:55–13:05
Soil biodiversity monitoring within the European Soil Observatory and the EU Soil Monitoring Law
Maeva Labouyrie, Joint Research Centre, European Commission
13:05–13:25
Panel discussion: Proposed actions for CBD COP17 to advance soil biodiversity within the KMGBF
– Strengthening policy frameworks
– Improving monitoring frameworks
– Enhancing sustainable management and conservation
Moderated by Zoë Lindo, NETSOB Vice-Chair
13:25–13:30
Wrap-up and closing of the session
Prof Zoë Lindo, NETSOB Vice-Chair
Participants will be invited to use the Q&A function on Zoom. Questions that are not addressed live will be answered in the meeting report.