This session will spotlight how practical soil knowledge and capacity-building programmes and tools can empower farmers and promote nutrition-sensitive agriculture, supporting the RNW 2025 theme: “Coherent Policy and Action for Better Nutrition.” This session will showcase the Global Soil Doctors Programme (GSDP), a farmer-led initiative, supported by FAO GSP, that demonstrates soil health linkages and contribution to improved nutrition outcomes.

The Global Soil Doctors Programme will be presented through successful experiences from some of the countries where it is currently being implemented.

• Argentina: Promoting farmer empowerment. No till farmers association of Argentina (Aapresid).
• Mexico: Adapting global tools locally. University Programme for Interdisciplinary Soil Studies (PUEIS) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)
• Nigeria: Facilitating knowledge exchange. Nigeria Institute of Soil Science
• Thailand: Advancing international cooperation. Land Development Department of Thailand

The session will close with reflections from the GSP Secretary, emphasizing GSDP’s value to all FAO Members in scaling up sustainable, nutrition-focused agricultural solutions.

AGENDA

Moderation:

Ms Thorunn Wolfram Petursdottir, Secretary of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP).

Opening remarks

• HE Andreas von Brandt, Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations Organizations in Rome
• Mr Sandy McCleery first secretary of the United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the United Nations Agencies in Rome
• Ms Lynnette Neufeld Director of the FAO Food and Nutrition Division

Video, "Saving Soils and Empowering Farmers"

GSDP’s contribution to the Germany-funded Soils4Nutrition project, Mr Yuxin Tong, Land and water officer, GSP Secretariat.

Country success stories:

• Argentina: Promoting farmer empowerment. Ms Florencia Accame, Responsible for strategic projects at the No till farmers association of Argentina (Aapresid).
• Mexico: Adapting global tools locally. Ms Blanca Lucia Prado Pano Chair of the University Programme for Interdisciplinary Soil Studies (PUEIS) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico
• Nigeria: Facilitating knowledge exchange. Mr Victor Okechukwu Chude, Director of the Nigeria Institute of Soil Science
• Thailand: Advancing international cooperation. Ms Prapa Taranet. Research and Development for Land Management Division. Land Development Department of Thailand

Panel discussion

Closing remarks and way forward: Ms Thorunn Wolfram Petursdottir, Secretary of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP).

Our speakers

His Excellency Andreas von Brandt, Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Rome, Germany. Ambassador Andreas von Brandt started his tenure with the three Rome-based agencies in August 2024. Before, he was in charge of implementing the Humanitarian, Development and Peace (HDP) Nexus within the German Foreign Office. From 2020-22 he worked as EU Ambassador to Afghanistan and oversaw the evacuation of all expats in May and all Afghan staff in August 2021. Before joining the European External Action Service (EEAS), von Brandt worked as Deputy Director in the Private Office of NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, from 2018-20. From 2017-18 he was Deputy Ambassador at the German Embassy in Kabul and from 2014-17 Deputy Head of Division for the Southern Caucasus and Central Asia at the Federal Foreign Office and as Chargé d’Affaires a.i. at the Embassy in Bishkek.

Mr Sandy McCleery is the First Secretary and Head of Policy at the UK Representation to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome, where he leads the UK’s overarching policy work with FAO, IFAD, WFP, and the CFS. He is the Chair of the Rome Nutrition Week 2025 Organising Committee. He has worked in a range of roles in the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) (and formerly the UK Department for International Development, DFID), notably as the UK’s Counsellor to the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia and in UK Embassies across a number of countries in central and East Africa, including Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. Before joining DFID, he worked in India and Sri Lanka for various philanthropic and civil society organisations. He holds an MA and MPhil from the University of Cambridge.

Ms Lynnette Neufeld is the Director of the Food and Nutrition Division (ESN) at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Lynnette, a Canadian national, has over 25 years of experience in the field of nutrition where she has worked in a variety of technical advisory and academic positions. Prior to joining FAO, she had been serving as director of knowledge leadership at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Mr Yuxin Tong is a Land and Water Officer at the GSP Secretariat within the Land and Water Division of FAO. He coordinates the activities of the International Network of Black Soils (INBS) and the International Network on Soil Fertility and Fertilizers (INSOILFER). He is also actively involved in supporting the implementation of the FAO International Code of Conduct for the Sustainable Use and Management of Fertilizers is the coordinator of the Global Soil Doctors Programme. Prior to joining FAO, his research focused on the sustainable management of black soils, balanced fertilization, soil erosion, and soil acidification. He holds an MSc degree in Soil Science and a Ph.D. in Plant Nutrition.

Ms Florencia Accame, Responsible for strategic projects at the No till farmers association of Argentina (Aapresid). Ms. Accame holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the National University of Mar del Plata (UNMdP-UIB), and a Diploma in Product Management from the National Technological University (UTN). She is currently completing her master's degree in Natural Resources Management and Conservation.

She has been with Aapresid since 2018 and currently serves as Regional Project Manager for the programme. In this role, she is involved in a wide range of responsibilities, including project management and monitoring, research, communications, and outreach.

Dr Blanca Lucia Prado Pano, Chair of the University Programme for Interdisciplinary Soil Studies (PUEIS). Ms. Prado is a senior researcher at the Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences within the Geology Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She earned her PhD from Joseph Fourier University and a Master of Science from École des Mines de Paris, both in France. Her research interests include urban soils, soil physics, and solute transport in the vadose zone. She currently coordinates the University Program of Interdisciplinary Soil Studies (PUEIS) at UNAM.

Dr Victor Okechukwu Chude, the Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Institute of Soil Science (NISS).  He is a Soil Fertility Specialist holding a Doctorate and Master of Science degree in Soil Science from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and a B.Sc. in Plant/Soil Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. His specialization is in soil fertility and plant nutrition, with a strong focus on Integrated Soil Fertility Management of tropical soils, supported by several courses and trainings in this field. NISS serves as the National Promoter of the Global Soil Doctors Programme in Nigeria.

Dr. Prapa Taranet, a Senior Agricultural Research Officer at the Land Development Department (LDD) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand. With extensive experience in soil science and sustainable land management, she has led and contributed to national programmes focused on improving soil health, including the Soil Doctors Programme. Her work encompasses research and development in soil management, creation of educational and knowledge materials, support for farmer networks, promotion of soil conservation techniques, and advancement of science-based solutions for resilient agriculture. Additionally, she actively engages in knowledge transfer, policy support, and international collaboration to promote sustainable soil and land management practices.

Ms Thorunn Wolfram Petursdottir is the Secretary of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) within the FAO Land and Water Division. Thorunn holds a MSc degree in restoration ecology and a PhD in environmental sciences, with a focus on land-based natural resource management (NRM), social-ecological system analysis, ecosystem restoration, soil/land governance, and policy/programme evaluation. She has held various positions in her previous roles, including Head of the Department for Sustainability and Climate at the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland, deputy director of the institute, political advisor to the Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources of Iceland, and CEO of the Icelandic Climate Council.