9th Meeting of the Global Soil Laboratory Network
The Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN) will hold its annual meeting from 11 to 13 November 2025, bringing together soil laboratories from across the world to advance harmonization, strengthen technical capacities and improve the reliability of soil data.
Since its establishment in 2017 under the Global Soil Partnership, GLOSOLAN has grown into a community of over 1 000 laboratories from 155 countries, working together to standardize methods, share expertise and ensure that soil information is consistent, comparable, and impactful worldwide.
This year’s meeting will provide an important opportunity for laboratories and regional networks to exchange knowledge, review progress, and plan future activities that support sustainable soil management and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Participants will discuss key priorities such as inter-laboratory comparisons, training initiatives, and the integration of laboratory data into national and global soil information systems.
TUESDAY, 11 NOVEMBER 2025
Moderator: Bellington Mudyawabikwa (FAO)
|
Time |
Agenda Item |
Responsible |
|
11:00-11:10 |
Opening |
Thorunn Wolfram Petursdottir (Global Soil Partnership Secretary, FAO) |
|
11:10-11:20 |
Endorsement of the Agenda and Group Picture |
Yi Peng (GLOSOLAN coordinator, FAO) |
|
11:20-12:30 |
Year behind:
|
Abdourahmane Elh Moudi Moustapha (GLOSOLAN Chair) |
|
12:30-13:00 |
Open Discussion |
Yi Peng (GLOSOLAN coordinator, FAO) |
|
13:00-13:15 |
Regional Soil Laboratory Networks Activities Report – Part I:
|
Lesego Mooketsi-Selepe (AFRILAB Chair) |
|
13:15-13:30 |
Questions |
Moderator |
|
13:30-13:50 |
Presentation of Chair and Vice-Chair candidates / Voting |
Moderator |
|
13:50-14:00 |
Close of the day |
Moderator |
WEDNESDAY, 12 NOVEMBER 2025
Moderator: Mansonia P. Moncada (FAO)
|
Time |
Agenda Item |
Responsible |
|
11:00-11:10 |
Summary of day 1 and opening of day 2 |
Moderator |
|
11:10-11:30 |
Regional Soil Laboratory Networks Activities Report – Part II:
|
Rob de Hayr (ASPAC facilitator) |
|
11:30-12:00 |
Questions |
Moderator |
|
12:00-12:10 |
Ongoing activities update:
|
Mansonia P. Moncada (FAO) |
|
12:10-12:30 |
The importance of soil physical properties in soil health assessment |
Lars Munkholm (Aarhus University, Denmark) |
|
12:30-12:50 |
The need for and challenges in standardizing soil physical analysis |
John Koestel (Agroscope, Switzerland) |
|
12:50-13:30 |
Questions & Discussion |
- |
|
13:30-13:50 |
Presentation and endorsement of the GLOSOLAN work plan for 2026 |
Yi Peng (GLOSOLAN coordinator, FAO) |
|
13:50-14:00 |
Close of the day |
Moderator |
THURSDAY, 13 NOVEMBER 2025
Moderator: Issam Barra (FAO)
|
Time |
Agenda Item |
Responsible |
|
11:00-11:10 |
Summary of day 2 and opening of day 3 |
Moderator |
|
11:10-11:25 |
Report on the work performed by GLOSOLAN-Spec in 2024-2025 |
Raphael Viscarra Rossel (Curtin University, Australia; GLOSOLAN-Spec Chair) |
|
11:25-11:40 |
Update on Governance of GLOSOLAN-Spec |
Issam Barra (FAO) |
|
11:40-12:00 |
Presentation of the soil spectroscopy component of SoilFER project |
Gerd Dercon (Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture) |
|
12:00-12:20 |
Challenges in soil spectroscopy in the context of large-scale, high-resolution soil mapping |
Behrens Thorsten (Swiss Competence Center for Soil, Switzerland) |
|
12:20-13:00 |
Questions & Discussion |
|
|
13:00-13:20 |
Presentation and open discussion of the GLOSOLAN-Spec development roadmap |
Raphael Viscarra Rossel (Curtin University, Australia; GLOSOLAN-Spec Chair) |
|
13:20-13:30 |
Announcement of the elected GLOSOLAN Chair and Vice-Chair for the term 2025–2027 |
Yi Peng (GLOSOLAN coordinator, FAO) |
|
13:30-13:40 |
Close of the meeting |
Yi Peng (GLOSOLAN coordinator, FAO) |