Summary of 2.1/Dialogue Session Grounding global soil and land initiatives: working on trickling down 1 l e Tu s d ay, 2 ek 20 e W pril A 15 al Soil b o § G Dialogue Session 2.1 Grounding global soil and land initiatives: working on trickling down 21 Date Tuesday, 21 April 2015 DS Hosts: Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) – Germany; Eurasian Center for Food Security – Russia; Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) – China; Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) – Brazil; Millennium Institute – United States; Biovision Foundation – Switzerland Background Global soil and land related initiatives and agreements are crucial to catalyze actions for the sustainable management and governance of these resources. Examples of these initiatives are the current process to set universal Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) where soils and land will play a cross-cutting role to achieve food and energy security, or the setting up of a Global Soil Partnership to coordinate a unified voice for soils. However, the ultimate success of these initiatives will depend on their effective link and implementation at the regional and (sub)-national level. Furthermore, the implementation of these initiatives at the different levels will require the engagement of multiple-stakeholders so that biophysical as well as socioeconomic aspects can be monitored and accountability can be increased. The session included discussions on successful examples of trickling-down by looking at the recently established regional soil partnerships, the implementation of sustainable land management technologies in China, national multi-stakeholder policy assessments and a soil governance audit in Brazil. Finally, at the session the IASS and its partners presented a proposal to establish national soil monitoring and accountability initiatives for the implementation of the SDGs1. The aim was to discuss what has – and has not – worked well in the regionalization of global initiatives to assess their applicability in other countries and to draw lessons for the implementation of the SDGs. 1 http://www.iass-potsdam.de/sites/default/files/files/grounding_the_post-2015_development_agenda.pdf 2_ Rapporteurs_ Reports_Global Soil Week 2015 © IASS/StandArt 21 Key messages from the discussions 1) Soils and Land are central to our economies, societies and the environment, and are therefore key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Soils and land are a matter of crucial global relevance. The protection and sustainable use of soils and land is central to achieving food security and nutrition for all, realizing thriving rural landscapes, fostering sustainable agriculture, reducing poverty, and ensuring healthy ecosystems and biodiversity. Hence, soils and land will support the achievement of the SDGs. Many countries face challenges when having to translate global or regional agreements into national or local frameworks, especially when dealing with new or emerging issues such as the implementation of the SDGs. Appropriate institutions, with clearly determined responsibilities, a good link between states and civil society, and attention to the important role of local governments in many countries, are critical in this regard. 2) Multi-stakeholder mechanisms and processes for soils and land management and governance are needed at all levels to advance the SDGs To support an effective and efficient implementation of SDGs linked to soils and land issues, inclusive national decision-making and stakeholder processes are critical to inform assessments, plans, and monitoring and review. Due to the critical role of soils and land for attaining the SDGs, it is likely that there will be competing demands for land. Inclusive national processes for soil and land strategies, plans, and for monitoring and accountability are necessary to identify synergies and enable debates on the priorities of soil and land use in the SDGs. Advancing the establishment or strengthening of such national, inclusive processes would be reinforced by a respective reference in the SDG/Post-2015 agenda. Such a reference could “encourage all countries to adopt inclusive national processes for assessments, plans and follow-up and review on soils and land”. Rapporteurs_ Reports_Global Soil Week 2015_ 3 Dialogue Session Advancing the establishment or strengthening of such national, inclusive processes would be reinforced by a respective reference in the SDG/Post-2015 agenda. Such a reference could “encourage all countries to adopt inclusive national processes for assessments, plans and follow-up and review on soils and land”. 3) An enabling institutional and policy environment at relevant levels facilitates the responsible management of soils and lands during the implementation of the SDGs Making a case for the economic relevance of soils and land use and strengthening the basis for monitoring and review of relevant SDGs, will benefit from improved information systems on soils and land, based on comprehensive indicators. The Global and Regional Soil Partnerships can play a critical role in amplifying regional solutions, fostering support for the development and implementation of specific regional and national policies, and galvanizing a coherent and effective collaboration and communication amongst diverse, context-specific actors working in support of sustainable soil and land management. Efforts around the world are underway of moving towards more sustainable soil management, for example in the light of degradation resulting from excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer. Such efforts would benefit from an enhanced sharing of knowledge and experiences on successful practices and national policy frameworks, including on measures designed to overcome barriers for the adoption of practices that unfold their full benefits only in the medium- to long-term. Finding technical solutions to soil and land management that work at the farm-level, is fostered through the active involvement of farmers in research and development. National Soil Audits can play a key role in realizing coherent, effective and efficient national approaches to furthering sustainable soil and land management and governance with a longterm view. In this regard, implementing a thorough assessment methodology, capturing the opinions of farmers, and consolidating regulation can be key foundations, as shown in the case of Brazil. 4) Emphasizing and understanding the critical links to food and nutrition security, as well as Climate Change adaptation and mitigation, helps keeping soils and land on the international agenda To further strengthen the evidence-basis and foster the interlinkages between soils, sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is encouraged to consider the issue of soils and food security in its future Programme of Work. Mitigating and adapting to Climate Change is strongly linked to soils and land management. Especially in LDCs, land-based activities will be central in adapting to Climate Change, which may require adequate resources from financial mechanisms, including the Green Climate Fund, accessible for different levels of government. Contact: Ivonne Lobos Alva Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies – Potsdam [email protected] 4_ Rapporteurs_ Reports_Global Soil Week 2015 © IASS/StandArt © IASS/StandArt 21 © IASS/StandArt Rapporteurs_ Reports_Global Soil Week 2015_ 5
© Copyright 2024