Background 

Healthy soils are the foundation of sustainable and regenerative food systems and provide several vital ecosystem services. Sequestering carbon in soils, for example, can have multiple benefits for climate change mitigation and adaptation, food and nutrition security, biodiversity, and water resilience. However, one-third of the Earth’s surface is degraded, negatively affecting 3.2 billion people annually. Therefore, targeted investments in soil health are urgently needed. This includes investments in robust methods for monitoring soil health to prioritize and track land management efforts over time. 

This session will showcase advancements in soil health monitoring from robust field survey designs, to innovations in laboratory methods including soil spectroscopy, as well as advancements in remote sensing. The session will highlight the critical importance of these monitoring methodologies to be applied to answer key knowledge gaps on the impact of land management and landscape restoration practices on soil health. Furthermore, this session will highlight the inclusion of citizen science, to bring stakeholders and communities into the monitoring process, which can lead to the scaling of healthy soil practices. Finally, this session will discuss opportunities to bring evidence to bear for decision-making. 

Objectives 

• Showcase the latest advancements in soil health monitoring 

• Bring evidence to bear for decision-making and inform policy-making processes

• Catalyse multi-stakeholder collaboration and create an enabling environment to build healthy soil ecosystems 

Multi-stakeholder action is key to tackling land degradation, with soil health playing a pivotal role in sustaining life and ecosystems. CA4SH is hosting this event to highlight the vital role soil health plays in ensuring food and nutrition security, preserving biodiversity, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and restoring ecosystems. By bringing together diverse perspectives, we aim to catalyze collaboration and create an enabling environment for scaling soil health initiatives on a global scale. By hosting this event, we can facilitate knowledge exchange, foster partnerships, influence policy, and advocate for targeted investments in soil health. This event will showcase innovations in soil health monitoring and management, such as CIFOR-ICRAF's Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF) and IFDC’s Soil Values Program. We also aim to promote the use of evidence-based practices in soil health management. 

Key takeaways 

Participants will walk away with a clearer understanding of the role of healthy soil in providing vital ecosystem services, and in global food and nutrition security. They will also become familiar with advancements in soil health monitoring. They will gain an understanding on the importance of integrating evidence-based approaches into soil health monitoring and management, as well as how the evidence generated from monitoring can inform policy and investment decisions. Knowledge gaps and opportunities for collaboration will also be identified.

Speakers

• Leigh Winowiecki (Soil and Land Health Global Research Lead, CIFOR-ICRAF, CA4SH co-Founder)

• TBD

The Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue

“The Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, also known as the "Borlaug Dialogue," brings together individuals from more than 65 countries to address cutting-edge issues related to global food security and nutrition. Global leaders, experts, educators, students, and more will join the 2023 Borlaug Dialogue to discuss transformative solutions to achieve a sustainable, equitable, and nourishing food system. 

The 2023 Borlaug Dialogue will continue to offer in-person and virtual programming, providing unparalleled opportunities for engagement and networking while also ensuring global access to these critical discussions.”