Eight Working Session of the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS), 30 April - 4 May 2018

2. Pillar 1 Implementation
Plan
Liesl Wiese
GSP Secretariat
Dan Pennock
ITPS Pillar 1 Chair

3. Development process
• Started 13 February 2018 (2 months)
• First draft developed by GSP and ITPS Pillar 1 Chairs
• Based on recent GSP developments and priorities
• Revised WSC, SWSR report, VGSSM
• Pillar 1 Working Group (P1WG) Review:
• 2-13 April (2 weeks)
• Simultaneous review by ITPS P1WG

4. Pillar 1 Working Group
GSP Chair: Liesl Wiese
ITPS Pillar 1 Chair: Dan Pennock
Regional Pillar 1 Chairs:
Africa: Zakayo Muyaka
Asia: Suresh Kumar Chaudari
Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean: Axel Schmidt,
Reynaldo Bismarck Mendoza Corrales
Eurasia: Hakki Emrah Erdogan
Europe: Violette Geissen
Near East and North Africa: Eman Sahib
North America: David Lobb
Pacific: Siosiua Halavatau
South America: Pedro Freitas
Provided comments/inputs

5. Pillar 1 PoA Recommendations
1. Identify appropriate SSM practices, adapt them and
implement at appropriate scales (cost-benefit)
2. Support sustainable agricultural production by
balances soil fertility management and appropriate
physical management
3. Assess and address barriers to adoption (technically
and politically)
4. Monitor SSM implementation
5. Capacity development to promote SSM adoption

6. 4 Activities (2018-2022)
1. Make available info on best SSM practices under
different land use systems
• ITPS protocol (Guidance?) to assess SSM practices is a
first step (Annex if approved by ITPS)
• Need to test soil management against SSM definition
• Refine the protocol for regional/national context (RSPs)
• Appropriate indicators and metrics should be used
(linked to Pillar 5)
• Compile a database with best SSM practices

7. 4 Activities (2018-2022)
2. Identify successful SSM implementation for up-scaling
• Identify and map regional and national case studies
• Include info on:
• Site characteristics (soil characteristics, climate, landscape,
access to water, etc.)
• SSM practices used
• barriers to adoption
• stakeholders involved
• Develop integrated regional maps of successful SSM projects

8. 4 Activities (2018-2022)
3. Implement revised WSC and VGSSM
• Assess performance of GSP partners against WSC (done)
• Regional and national awareness and capacity dev workshops
• Develop technical manuals for 10 soil threats (also manuals
for threats from soil to ES?)
• i.e. Guidelines on soil organic matter management

9. 4 Activities (2018-2022)
4. Develop and implement SSM projects
• Develop proposal to up-scale existing projects/ new concepts for
implementation
• Project proposals should be comprehensive including:
• How to overcome barriers to adoption
• Developing relevant policy support
• Capacity development (before/during implementation)
• Needs assessment to adapt practices
• Knowledge exchange and develop decision support systems
• Monitor SSM impact on ESS and functions
• SSM project established in all regions

10. Implementation timeline
Activity Actions
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Q
1
Q
2
Q
3
Q
4
Q
1
Q
2
Q
3
Q
4
Q
1
Q
2
Q
3
Q
4
Q
1
Q
2
Q
3
Q
4
Q
1
Q
2
Q
3
Q
4
1. Develop and make available
information on best practices for SSM
under different land use systems
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
2. Identify regions where SSM practices
are successfully implemented for up-
scaling
2.1
2.2
2.3
3. Implement the revised World Soil
Charter and Voluntary Guidelines for
Sustainable Soil Management
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
4. Develop and implement comprehensive
projects for SSM
4.1
4.2

11. Total budget (consider additional to RSP
budgets for Pillar 1)
Activity Budget
1. Implement the revised World Soil Charter
and Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil
Management
USD 275,000
2. Develop and make available information on
best practices for SSM under different land use
systems
USD 1,020,000
3. Identify regions where sustainable soil
management practices are successfully
implemented for up-scaling
USD 325,000
4. Develop and implement projects for
sustainable soil management practices
USD
15,100,000
Total Activities USD
16,720,000

12. Total RSP budgets for Pillar 1
Regional Soil Partnership
Pillar 1 Budget
USD
Africa 23 845 000
Asia 4 329 000
Central America, Mexico and Caribbean 10 065 000
Eurasia 1 070 000
Europe TBD
Near East and North Africa 3 900 000
South America Not provided
Total for RSPs 43 209 000

13. Assessment of SSM Document
• Goal: to provide guidance to PW1 RSP and others as they
assess SSM at regional, national, and local levels
• Reviewed and revised by ITPS PW1 WG
• Would be an annex to P1 IP
• Key element: broadens assessment to include assessments of
effects of soil management on ES (NCPs); consistent with the
definition of SSM adopted in WSC

14. Assessment of SSM Document
In every case, however, similar criteria would have to be met
for the specific regime to be considered sustainable.
Specifically, the questions that need to be addressed are:
What threats does the management regime pose to the
ecosystem services the soil provides to air, water, and all
relevant organisms (i.e., those life forms exposed to the
effects of the management regime)?
What are the management-related threats to soil functions
and biodiversity?
Does the current management regime eliminate or at least
reduce these threats to acceptable levels?
If not, what changes to the management regime would
eliminate or reduce the threats to acceptable levels?

15. Assessment of SSM Document
• The question of what are the acceptable impacts of
human use of soil on ecosystem services, soil functions,
and biodiversity must be addressed for SSM
assessments.

16. Assessment of SSM Document
• Threats to soil functions well established
• The threats to ecosystem services provided by the soil
have not been as fully established. The most fully
developed system is the Agri-Environmental Indicators
reporting system implemented by the OECD
(STATS.OECD.ORG).
• In Table 1, a preliminary list of threats for the three
primary ecosystem services listed in the WSC has been
compiled.

17. Assessment of SSM Document
Stages in the Assessment of the Sustainability of Soil
Management
1. Compilation of information on acceptable levels of
threats to soil-provided ecosystem services and to soil
functions and biodiversity for national, regional, or
watershed scales.
2. Identification of site-specific threats to soil-provided
ecosystem services and to soil functions and
biodiversity.
3. Compilation of local knowledge on acceptable levels
of threats.
4. Compilation of information on current or proposed
management regime.

18. Assessment of SSM Document
5. Linkage of management regime to identified threats
(e.g. effect of tillage on earthworms as developed
above).
6. Comparison of probable effects of current or
proposed management regime to acceptable levels of
threats.
7. Assessment of socio-economic and cultural
implications of current or proposed management
measures.
8. Implementation of changes to management regime to
achieve acceptable levels of threats or identification
of barriers to adoption of such changes.
9. Recognition of achievement of sustainability.

19. Thank you
Questions/comments?