BLOGS, ARTICLES AND NEWS

Get updates directly from the CA4SH Global team and stakeholders

Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

2024 CA4SH Annual Report | Celebrating Milestones, Partnerships, and Big Wins for Global Soil Health

27 March 2025: The Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) is thrilled to announce the launch of the 2024 Annual Report, marking significant milestones for the Coalition and for global soil health. 2024 was a big year CA4SH; we engaged global stakeholders in united advocacy to scale soil health through our priority areas of action, including science, policy, finance, youth engagement, and implementation on the ground. Additionally, we grew our membership from 159 to 258 global partners from across sectors and scales.

Learn more about the report, access the social media toolkit, and download the full report here!

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

#Youth4Soil Presents the First Youth Soil Health Solutions Showcase

The Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH) #Youth4Soil Working Group held its inaugural Virtual Soil Solutions showcase on Thursday, 6th March 2025. The event was dubbed “We Grow We Eat” to celebrate soil as a growing medium for 95% of the world's food. The showcase provided a platform for #Youth4Soil members to exhibit the soil health solutions they are already implementing in their local contexts and interact with key stakeholders to grow those solutions.

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

Updates & Action | CA4SH’s 1st Quarterly Partner Meeting and 1st SteerCo Meeting of 2025

On 19 February 2025, more than 70 partners from across the CA4SH network attended the first partner meeting of 2025 to share progress made and the next steps for scaling global soil health. The CA4SH Steering Committee also convened this month to discuss the action areas identified in the partner meeting and strategized the way forward for the Coalition.

The following update provides key takeaways from the two meetings and outlines action points that partners can take to engage with the Coalition and scale soil health globally.

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

The Stars in Our Soil: Soil Health Policies

Soil health policies are stars for our soil, without whom our advancement towards global soil health would remain slower than the rate at which we are depleting our soils. The importance of soil health policies can be summarized into three pros: protect, probe and promote

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

CA4SH, CIFOR-ICRAF, Varda & Norad partner on a pilot initiative to advance soil knowledge exchange

On 14 January 2025, the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) hosted a reflection webinar for a recent pilot initiative from CIFOR-ICRAF, Varda, and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. Over 125 participants attended to hear insights on the soil data ecosystem in Kenya and Tanzania and contribute their questions and perspectives on the pilot results and the future of soil health data on the African continent.

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

The Stars in Our Soil: Gifts to Soil Health

Soil health is the cornerstone of sustainable agriculture, and its impact extends far beyond the confines of the farm. As we enter the festive season, it's a fitting time to reflect on the invaluable gifts of soil health. These include policies, advocates, media influence, scientific expertise, and farmer dedication—all crucial in driving progress toward a healthier, more resilient agricultural ecosystem. Let’s celebrate these contributions and recognize their role in safeguarding our future.

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

CA4SH Partners Hosted Record Engagement at UNCCD COP16

The Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) is rooted in the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Since our official launch in 2021, CA4SH has amassed a membership of over 200 multistakeholder organizations and collaborated with countless partners.

This year, the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNCCD was focused on a people-centred approach to accelerating action on land and drought resilience, themed Our Land. Our Future.

Since healthy soil is essential to land and drought resilience, and provides co-benefits that link with all 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the CA4SH network came together for a record engagement at COP16 to advocate for scaling global soil health.

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

Healthier land and soils for a better food future: how policymakers hold the keys to change

Delegates at COP16 of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Riyadh have been working to tackle the critical challenge of preserving soil health while feeding the world, with 10 billion mouths to feed by 2050. This COP could accelerate action on land, drought resilience and the green transition across the world. Land restoration is a non-negotiable for a food systems transformation that makes our people, planet and economies healthier and more sustainable over the long-term.

Read the full blog from the World Bank

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

#COPSoil in Action: CA4SH drove the needle forward for soil health at UNFCCC COP29

11-22 NOVEMBER 2024: The UN Climate Convention COP29 was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, themed In Solidarity for a Green World. The Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) is a motivated, multi-stakeholder coalition working to strengthen, facilitate and accelerate the adoption and scaling of soil health restoration practices. Soil health drives productivity and economic growth, rural livelihoods, biodiversity protection, and mitigation and adaptation to the climate crisis.

At COP29, CA4SH convened members, partners, and other stakeholders to underscore the critical importance of including soil in the climate proceedings. CA4SH held and participated in several sessions that teased apart the intricacies of scaling global soil health on the ground through finance, policy, support for farmers and land managers, and more. Keeping soil health on the climate agenda is an overarching objective of CA4SH, and at COP29, the power of multistakeholder voices was heard. Read on for an overview of our engagement!

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

Netherlands Symposium – Future Proofing: Unified Action for Soil Health and Food Security

As a continuation of the organization’s first symposium this year in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the center’s 50th anniversary, the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) hosted a second symposium, “Future Proofing: Unified Action for Soil Health and Food Security,” on November 4 at KIT in Amsterdam.

The event brought together global agriculture experts, policymakers, leaders, and stakeholders to explore pathways for strengthening soil health and enhancing food security amidst a rapidly evolving landscape of environmental and economic challenges, in addition to the challenges of a growing population.

Read the full story and watch the event recordings on the IFDC website

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

CA4SH co-hosted a side event at the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue: Using Evidence to Inform Policy

23 October 2024: The Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) co-hosted a virtual side event with CIFOR-ICRAF and the International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) at the Norman A. Borlaug Dialogue of the World Food Prize (WFP). The event highlighted the critical importance of leveraging robust soil health monitoring methodologies to answer key knowledge gaps on the impact of land management and landscape restoration practices on soil health and to translate this information into policy.

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

Urgent action needed to reverse soil degradation in Europe

Launched today at the EU Soil Observatory Stakeholder Forum, the 2024 State of Soils in Europe report assesses the state of soil degradation across the EU and other countries in the European Economic Area, including Ukraine, Türkiye, and the Western Balkans. The report shows alarming status and trends, with soil degradation getting much worse in recent years, and highlights the need for immediate action to reverse this trend.

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

Educating the UK Government on Biopesticides: A First Principles Approach

Biopesticides offer the UK an unparalleled opportunity to address critical challenges in agriculture, from pest resistance and environmental degradation to public health concerns. By advocating for regulatory reforms, raising awareness, and providing financial incentives, the UK government can support the widespread adoption of biopesticides, ensuring a sustainable and resilient future for its agricultural sector.

Learn more from Dr Minshad Ansari, CEO, Bionema Group, Wales, United Kingdom

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

How Healthy Soil Aligns the Three Rio Conventions

Healthy soil is the cornerstone of sustainable development, playing a crucial role in providing ecosystem services, achieving food and nutrition security for all, and climate regulation. Its significance can be underscored through the lens of the three Rio Conventions: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Each convention addresses a distinct but interconnected aspect of environmental sustainability, but what remains constant is the critical role that scaling global soil health plays in achieving the objectives of the conventions.

To hone in on soil as a holistic approach to global environmental challenges, we have summarized some of the ways that healthy soil is central to the objectives of the Rio Conventions and outlined some of the key ways forward.

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

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. This year, we contributed to several side events led by partners to elevate the importance of soil health.

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

Hon Penny Wensley Awarded the Distinguished Service Medal at the Centennial Celebration and Congress of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS)

This week, at the Centennial Celebration and Congress of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) in  Florence, Italy, the Honorable Penelope Wensley AC was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of her environmental advocacy, diplomacy, and the pursuit of scaling soil health.

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

CA4SH at the IUSS Centennial Celebration and Congress: Reflecting on successes and looking ahead to the future of soil science

Founded as the International Society of Soil Science (ISSS) on 19th May 1924, the International Union of Soil Scientists (IUSS), with the Italian Soil Science Society (SISS) welcomed more than 1500 scientists from all over the world to Rome, Italy, where the IUSS was founded, to celebrate 100 years of action on soils.

Read More
Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat Hanna Linden (she/her) | CA4SH Secretariat

CA4SH Co-Hosted a Roundtable Luncheon on the Side of the CBD SBSTTA26

To bridge actions between the UNFCCC and UNCBD, CA4SH and partners WWF, UNEP,  the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, CGIAR, CIFOR-ICRAF, Biovision and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade co-hosted a roundtable luncheon on the sidelines of the UNCBD Twenty-sixth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (STTA26). The luncheon was called Food Systems Transformation & Land Use Change: Unlocking the potential for enhanced synergies and finance through NBSPAs and NDCs, where attendees joined a group discussion on how aligning the UNFCCC and UNCBD could unlock and enhance synergies and scale-up financial support at the national level to enable food systems transformation.

Read More