http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership This presentation was made during the third GSP Planery Assembly that took place in Rome; FAO HQ from 22-24 June 2015. The presentation was made by Luca Montanarella and it presents the main activities and outcomes of the ITPS. ©FAO: http://www.fao.org

1. THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL
TECHNICAL PANEL ON SOILS (ITPS)
Main activities and outcomes
Luca Montanarella (ITPS Chair)

2. Mandate of the ITPS
(Rule VI of the GSP Rules of Procedures)
a) provide scientific and technical advice on global soil issues primarily to the GSP and in
relation to specific requests submitted by global or regional institutions (UNCCD, UNFCCC, CBD)
b) advocate for the inclusion of sustainable soil management into different development
agendas.
c) review and follow up on the situation and issues related to soils in the contexts of food
security, use and management of natural resources, ecosystem services provision, climate change
adaptation and mitigation, and other relevant areas.
d) review and endorse from a technical viewpoint the GSP Plans of Action.
e) follow up on the implementation of these Plans of Action with due attention to their impact
and contributions to different global policies and initiatives related to sustainable development,
MDGs, food security, climate change adaptation and other subject matters.
f) in exceptional cases, when complex technical matters arise, request the Plenary Assembly and
the Secretariat to form technical committees aiming to gather specific advice.

3. UNCCD
CBD
Climate Change
Biodiversity
Desertification
IPCC
SPI
IPBES
Food Security
Bridging the gap between soil science
and policy

4. THE 27 SCIENTSTS MEMBERS OF THE FIRST ITPS 2013-2015
Proposed by GSP Partners and nominated by Member Countries of FAO
NORTH AMERICA
Jon Hempel – United States
John Daniel Pennock – Canada
EUROPE
Helaina Black - United Kingdom
Jaroslava Sobocká - Slovak Republic
Dominique Arrouays – France
Luca Montanarella – Italy
Pavel Krasilnikov - Russia
AFRICA
Isaurinda Dos Santos Baptista Costa -Cape
Verde
Martin Yemefack – Cameroon
Victor Chude – Nigeria
Mohamed Badraoui – Morocco
Tekalign Mamo - Ethiopia
ASIA
Gan Lin Zhang – China
Milkha Singh Aulakh – India
Kazuyuki Yagi – Japan
Suk Young Hong – Republic of Korea
Pisoot Vijarnsorn – Thailand
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Maria de Lourdes Mendonca Santos –Brazil
Miguel Taboada – Argentina
Carlos Roberto Henríquez - Costa Rica
David Espinosa Victoria – Mexico
Julio Alegre - Peru
NEAR EAST
Seyed Kazem Alavi Panah – Iran
Elsiddig Ahmed ElMustafa ElSheikh – Sudan
Abdullah AlShankiti – Saudi Arabia
SOUTH WEST PACIFIC
Marta Camps Arbestain - New Zealand
Neil McKenzie - Australia

6. What have we achieved:
 Finalization and endorsement of the 5 plans of actions for the 5 pillars of the
GSP
 Revision of the FAO World Soil Charter
 Support to the development of Regional Soil Partnerships
 Support to the development of the proposals for Post-2015 Sustainable
Development goals (SDGs)
 Report on the Status of World’s Soil Resources (SWSR)
 Concept note for the development of Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil
Management (SSM)
 Links and collaborations with other scientific panels, like the Science Policy
Interface (SPI) of UNCCD and the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
6http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership/intergovernmental-technical-panel-on-soils/en/

7. Plans of action for the 5 GSP Pillars
The ITPS finalized the 5 plans of action for the GSP Pillars of activity:
1. Promote sustainable management of soil resources for soil protection, conservation
and sustainable productivity
2. Encourage Investment, Technical Cooperation, Policy, Education, Awareness and
Extension
3. Promote targeted soil research and development focusing on identified gaps,
priorities and synergies with related productive, environmental and social
development actions
4. Enhance the quantity and quality of soil data and information: data collection
(generation), analysis, validation, reporting, monitoring and integration with other
disciplines
5. Harmonization of methods, measurements and indicators for the sustainable
management and protection of soil resources
728 August 2015

8. Revision of the FAO World Soil Charter
• The first World Soil Charter (WSC) was conceived and formulated,
negotiated and adopted by the FAO member countries in the 1981 FAO
Conference
• The Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) was tasked to
produce a new version of this WSC making use of wide consultations within
the international soil community in order to assist with the process.
• The ITPS was able to submit a revised text to the GSP Plenary Assembly
at its second meeting in July 2014.
• After the further changes introduced by the Assembly, the revised WSC was
endorsed by the 24th session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG)
in October 2014 and by the FAO Council in December 2014.
• Coinciding with 2015 the International Year of Soils, member countries
during the 39th FAO Conference unanimously endorsed the new
World Soil Charter as a vehicle to promote and institutionalize sustainable
soil management at all levels.
828 August 2015

9. Development of Regional Soil Partnerships
928 August 2015

10. Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals
1028 August 2015
Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
Target 2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that
increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to
climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and
soil quality.
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Target 3.9 By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air,
water and soil pollution and contamination.
Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage
forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Target 15.3 By 2020, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by
desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land-degradation-neutral world

11. Report on the Status of World’s Soil Resources
(SWSR)
 First ever comprehensive global assessment of the status of world’s
soil resources
 A large collective effort of more then 200 soil scientists coordinated by
the ITPS
 A 600 page report completed in less then 12 month providing a
comprehensive overview of the status of soils in the world
 Full report consisting of 3 main parts: Global Soil Resources, Global
Soil Change and Impact and responses
 Complete regional assessments for each of the 7 FAO Regions
 Summary for policy makers for your consideration and endorsement
1128 August 2015

12. Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management (SSM)
 Concept note developed following a specific request from COAG
 Close links with the Pillar 1 of the GSP
 Provides also elements for a potential indicator for the soil related
SDGs (Area of land under Sustainable Soil Management practices)
 Could be one of the main areas of work of the next ITPS
1228 August 2015

13. Links and collaborations with other scientific
panels
 Close links developed with the Science – Policy Interface (SPI) of
UNCCD (joint meeting at the 2015 Global Soil Week)
 Close links established with the Intergovernmental Platform for
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES):
 Appointment of the ITPS Chairperson as co-chair of the thematic assessment
on land degradation and restoration
 Still lacking closer collaboration with the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC)

14. Conclusions and final recommendations
 ITPS mandate is too short (2 years), should be prolonged to 3 years
 Continuity between panels need to be assured by a proportion (50%)
of renewed nominations for outgoing panel members
 Independence and scientific excellence are of crucial importance
 Good regional balance but still lacking adequate gender balance
 Location of ITPS plenary meetings should be rotating among the 7
FAO regions
 Closer involvement of the ITPS in the implementation process of the 5
GSP plans of action
 Closer collaboration with the climate change scientific community
(IPCC) needs to be developed

15. Thank you!