CA4SH at Bonn Climate Change Conference 2024

June 3 to 13, 2024 - The 60th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiaries Bodies (SB60) took place in Bonn, Germany. Also called the 2024 Bonn Climate Change Conference, it brought together an estimated 6,000 attendees to prepare and shape the agenda for COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan later this year.

Last year, the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) co-hosted a Policy Dialogue Luncheon to build a roadmap for soil health in the climate change agenda. This year, we contributed to several side events led by partners to elevate the importance of soil health.

Read below for a summary of our engagement and key takeaways from the conference.

Soil Health for People and Planet: Leveraging Policy, Integrating Governance, Exploring Collaboration

The side event, co-hosted with the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS) and several other partners, underscored the critical need for robust policy frameworks and effective governance mechanisms to address soil degradation. The event brought together policy advocates, researchers, and practitioners to discuss innovative strategies, best practices, and emerging trends in soil policy and governance.

Key themes included the role of policy interventions in mitigating soil degradation, the integration of traditional knowledge into modern governance frameworks, and the socioeconomic implications of soil management decisions. Miguel Ángel Zhan Dai from Four Paws International remarked, "We have separated different crises but we have to tackle them together as addressing each in silos could create negative impacts".

The event highlighted the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration, participatory and regenerative approaches for soil and land management, and contextualized methodologies to generate evidence. “We need to bring this knowledge to policymakers and advance soil policy agendas”, said Dr. Olga Andreeva from UNCCD.

As the event drew to a close, each speaker shared their key message to the audience: broadening engagement areas, recognizing issues on local, national and global levels, mobilizing stakeholders, adapting to diverse local conditions, and prioritizing soil health on all agendas. In the audience, Farmer Jon from the Kuatro MariaS' AgroEcology Farm in the Philippines also left us with a compelling message: “Soil health is important for farmers - it’s our life”.

Integrating Soil Health into Next-Generation NDCs through Technology Transfer

The side event co-hosted with Alliance Bioversity/CIAT and CIFOR-ICRAF highlighted the importance of soil health technologies for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. The discussion centred on how these technologies can be integrated into the next generation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to enhance the effectiveness of climate action and support technology transfer within the UNFCCC process.

Challenges such as disaggregation between processes, capacity building, access to information, and financing were identified as key barriers to effective technology transfer. Miriam Medel Garcia from Onepoint5 emphasized, "We need to develop holistic solutions and to bring in local and Indigenous knowledge when available".

The event emphasized the need for adequate policies, agricultural extension services, and the inclusion of smallholder farmers in decision-making processes to ensure the successful implementation and scaling of soil health technologies. Martina Fleckenstein from WWF International referred to the Food Forward NDC Guidance Tool, developed with Climate Focus, which provides evidence-based policy options and measures for transition to nature-positive, healthy and resilient food systems. The interactive tool includes soil health considerations.

Louis Verchot from the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT added, "By being systems-oriented, we are paying more attention to governance and the recognition of multiple sources of knowledge". The event emphasized the crucial role of Indigenous knowledge and local practices in developing effective soil health strategies, advocating for a more inclusive approach to climate action.

Road to COP29 - Scaling implementation and financing adaptation solutions towards 2030: the Sharm El Sheikh Adaptation Agenda (SAA)

A key highlight of the conference was the COP29 Presidency event on adaptation. Moderated by Youssef Nassef, UNFCCC Director for Adaptation, it called for the acceleration of equitable implementation of adaptation and resilience solutions. “COP28 outcomes gave a boost to work on adaptation with the launch of the Framework for Global Climate Resilience”. The framework has “demonstrated international unity in tackling climate change”, said Samir Bejanov, Deputy Chief Negotiator COP29 Presidency.

Leyla Hasanova, the Youth Climate Champion for COP29, emphasized the critical role of youth in climate adaptation efforts. "It’s the young people who will bear the consequences. As we draw up solutions to address climate change, it’s imperative to involve youth now. Our voices are critical in shaping the path forward”. She called for greater investment in capacity building and the inclusion of young voices in decision-making processes.

The COP29 Presidency also launched the Harmoniya Initiative in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This initiative aims to harmonize agricultural initiatives, enhance climate finance, and support women farmers, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. It seeks to maximize adaptation and mitigation co-benefits while addressing the urgent need to consolidate various agricultural efforts.

Building Healthy Soil Ecosystems through Youth Engagement and Indigenous Knowledge Integration

A key takeaway from the conference was the importance of building healthy soil ecosystems through the engagement of youth and the integration of local and Indigenous knowledge. This concept was reinforced throughout various sessions and discussions, highlighting the unique contributions that young people and Indigenous communities can make to soil health and climate resilience.

“Indigenous knowledge and youth engagement are vital for building resilient soil ecosystems”, said Sheelah Bearfoot from Wisdom Keepers. “We need to promote Indigenous knowledge and Indigenous lifeways as a way to conserve soil”. The integration of traditional knowledge with modern soil governance frameworks is essential for creating sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.

“It’s important that Indigenous Peoples are at the frontline. They should be in the room, making the decisions, co-designing the solutions”, said Razan Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28. The Global Biodiversity Framework also duly recognized for the first time the roles and contributions of Indigenous Peoples and local communities as custodians of biodiversity and as partners in its conservation, restoration and sustainable use.

Participants emphasized the need to empower youth with the resources and training necessary to lead effective action. Kelvin Muli, Party Representative from Kenya, emphasized that “today’s youth are not just passive observers but active participants in climate action. They are on the front lines, leading grassroots movements, and implementing innovative solutions''.

The Road Ahead

Eighteen months after establishing the Sharm el-Sheikh joint work on the implementation of climate action on agriculture and food security (SSJWA) at COP27, Parties have agreed on a roadmap leading up to COP31. Though this is an important breakthrough, the final draft conclusion under agenda item SBI 11/SBSTA 9 does not mention soil and soil health. CA4SH will continue to galvanize support from member states to take the commitments of the Soil Health Resolution forward. The Resolution offers draft text to bring soil to the table in climate, environment, and food declarations and policy frameworks.

As we move towards COP29, the message is clear: urgent, collaborative and inclusive action is needed to safeguard our soils and ensure a sustainable future. CA4SH calls on policymakers, member states, researchers, practitioners, and communities to prioritize soil health in their climate, biodiversity, and land agendas. The integration of traditional knowledge, engagement with youth, financing, generation of evidence, and robust national and international policy frameworks that integrate soil health are essential to this effort.

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The mission of CA4SH is to improve soil health globally. Joi n us in advocating for soil health by advancing policies that prioritize and support sustainable soil and land management, and raising awareness about the critical role of healthy soils in poverty reduction, food and nutrition, climate mitigation and adaptation, and biodiversity conservation.