The FINANCIAL — Upon the launch the International Year of Soils 2015 (IYS) and the first World Soil Day, participants of the United Nations Global Compact are underscoring the importance of the sustainability of global soils. Building on the UN Global Compact’s Food and Agriculture Business (FAB) Principles, a group of signatory companies is working with global soil experts to develop guidance on how businesses in agriculture can support better soil management, to be called the Soil Principles, according to UN Global Compact.
In meetings convened over the course of this year in New York, Bonn, Singapore and Nairobi by the UN Global Compact and others, such as the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and the UN Environment Programme, experts have noted how soils have extensive linkages to a wide array of global issues. They affirm that business should contribute to mapping soil as a scarce resource and fully integrate soil management in both policies and practices for sustainable agriculture and food security.
Charlotte Hebebrand, Director-General of the International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA), a UN Global Compact signatory and member of the Global Soil Partnership, reiterated the importance of soils for food security at a recent meeting at the FAO in Rome: “Soils need more care and attention. They are crucial to meet the challenge of feeding a growing population. IFA and its members are providing key inputs to the Global Compact process to ensure that business can contribute meaningfully to the global agenda on soil management.”
The UN Global Compact process has identified four frames on how to understand soil management: (1) the need to maintain, prevent damage to, and protect soil; (2) the importance of building, restoring and enhancing soil; (3) methods to enhance soil productivity and efficiency; and (4) identifying solutions and actions for strengthening soil.
The business guidance to be finalized in early 2015 will address issues directly related to soil as an asset and resource, as well as considering soil-based ecosystem services, water, knowledge systems and innovation, rights to land and sustainable livelihoods. This approach to soil management reflects the alignment of UN Global Compact businesses with forthcoming global sustainable development goals on food, agriculture and nutrition, according to UN Global Compact.
“The Global Compact’s Food and Agriculture Business Principles are a channel for action on soil by businesses that are concerned about soil being fundamental to our sustenance and lives,” said Pedro Sanchez, Director of the Agriculture and Food Security Center of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, which is leading the Expert Reference Group on the forthcoming Soil Principles guidance. Mr. Sanchez urged that, “The private sector can compliment the efforts of government. Solid science, metrics and measures exist on what we can do to save our soils for future generations. We need to act together now.”
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