Soil Policy
CA4SH advocates for evidence-based policy as an enabler for scaling global soil health.
We are constantly collecting resources, updates, and initiatives from around the World to share in this Hub of all things soil policy.
Global Soil Policy Mechanisms
Australian National Soil Strategy
The National Soil Strategy was released in May 2021, becoming Australia’s first national policy for soil. The Strategy lays out a roadmap for how Australia will value, manage and improve its soil over the next 20 years.
Australian National Soil Action Plan
This is the first of four action plans to be developed under the National Soil Strategy, released in 2021. It was endorsed by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on 28 November with the support of all state and territory jurisdictions.
The action plan sets out 4 priority actions. These guide the focus and design of support to action on soil by governments at all levels and partners over the next 5 years.
All priority actions are linked to the 3 broader goals of the National Soil Strategy:
Prioritise soil health
Empower soil innovation and stewards
Strengthen soil knowledge and capability
United Kingdom Soil Health Inquiry
Responses to the UK Soil Health inquiry are currently being reviewed by the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. The results of the Inquiry will lay out a roadmap for how the UK government will meet its goal of having all soil “managed sustainably” by 2030.
European Union Soil strategy for 2030
The EU soil strategy for 2030 sets a vision, framework, and objectives to achieve healthy soils by 2050, with concrete actions by 2030. It also announces a new Soil Health Law by 2023 to ensure a level playing field and a high level of environmental and health protection.
The EU Mission Soil Manifesto
The Mission Soil Manifesto highlights the urgent need for action to protect soil health. It represents a key step for further local engagement by mobilizing regions, municipalities, organizations, businesses, schools, citizens, and other stakeholders. Mission Soil also supports the creation of 100 living labs and lighthouses that demonstrate and lead the transition towards healthy soils in rural and urban areas by 2030. This is supported by NATI00NS, an initiative which is creating links between learning lab clusters.
Federal Soil Health Bill Tracker
Land Core is a non-profit organization that has worked with the USDA, legislators, soil scientists, NGOs and farmers across the United States to develop federal legislation to scale healthy soil practices. The Bill Tracker highlights the bills and legislators that could have a significant impact on soil health in the USA.
Integrating soil organic carbon into Nationally Determined Contributions
On 21 October 2022, CA4SH participated in a policy roundtable organized by Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA), bringing together experts and developing recommendations on how to include soil organic carbon in Member States’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). AICCRA produced six policy briefs focusing on AICCRA project countries, and CA4SH is keen to partner on scaling this to new contexts.
Food Forward NDCs
Food Forward NDCs is a guidance tool to support the enhancement and implementation of NDC ambitions for agriculture and food systems transformation. It will help countries to strengthen their NDCs by providing easy and accessible content to identify policy measures and practices and information about their climate change mitigation, adaptation and sustainable development benefits.
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