It is difficult to rate the importance of the different soil functions, since all are vital to our well-being to some extent. However, the function of supporting food and agriculture worldwide is fundamental for the preservation and advancement of human life on this planet. Soil is also the basis for plant growth and contributes to the maintenance of natural and planted vegetation, including our diverse forests and grasslands and the huge breadth of crop species and varieties that are cultivated or managed for their diverse food, fiber, fodder, fuel and medicinal products in relation to the prevailing climate, landscape and soil type and according to societal needs.

Through plant growth, the soil also plays an important role in supporting animal biodiversity above ground, including wildlife and domesticated livestock. Moreover, the soil itself contains millions of diverse organisms that perform many vital functions such as the breakdown of plant debris, assimilating components from the atmosphere, aerating the soil, as well as regulation of carbon, nutrient and hydrological cycles and breakdown of toxic elements. Soil is increasingly recognized as playing a fundamental role in the quality and availability of our water supply. The soil, coupled with the landscape and its vegetation, is responsible for the distribution of all rainwater falling upon it and thus plays a key role with respect to the water cycle and supply as now recognised by hydrologists. Related to how water moves through the soil and the absorption properties of soils is the soil's ability to perform an important function in pollution control (pesticides, nitrates etc.). Soil has always been important for the foundation platform of buildings, roads and other constructions, while also providing base materials for these.

Finally, soils have been recognized as having a key role in modifying and ameliorating the risks and effects of climate change by regulating dynamic biochemical processes and the exchange of greenhouse gases (GHG) with the atmosphere. Soil organic matter is one of the major pools of carbon in the biosphere and is important both as a driver of climatic change and as a response variable to climate change capable of acting both as a source and sink of carbon. Sustainable and climate-resilient soil management plays an essential part in the climate system and in the terrestrial carbon balance. 

The Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon that will take place from 21 to 23 March 2017 at the FAO headquarters will focus on the role of soils and soil organic carbon (SOC) in the climate system. This high-level international scientific meeting organized by the GSP/ITPS with FAO support will enable and strengthen the provision of knowledge on SOC measurement, modeling and management while identifying promising research, policies, and action plans for maximizing the potential of soil carbon sequestration for climate change adaptation/ mitigation. 

The Global Soil Partnership was established in December 2012 as a mechanism to develop a strong interactive partnership and enhanced collaboration and synergy of efforts between all stakeholders. From land users through to policy makers, one of the key objectives of the GSP is to improve the governance and promote sustainable management of soils. Since its creation, the GSP has become an important partnership where global soil issues are discussed and addressed by multiple stakeholders. Key outputs demonstrate that the partnership was needed to fill an existing gap in the promotion of sustainable soil management.

In order to achieve its mandate, the GSP addresses five pillars of action to be implemented in collaboration with its regional soil partnerships :