This document presents a protocol for assessing sustainable soil management. It provides a framework to determine if current soil practices are sustainable and identify improvements. The key steps involve describing the location, identifying threats, current practices, selecting indicators, interpreting results, and developing monitoring plans. The objectives are to assess sustainability and provide guidance on indicators. It was developed through multiple revisions with expert reviews and field testing. Next steps include refining guidance documents, compiling best practices databases, and identifying case studies to monitor progress in sustainable soil management implementation.

1. Protocol for the Assessment of
Sustainable Soil Management
Zineb Bazza

2. Protocol for the Assessment
of Sustainable Soil
Management

3. Protocol for the Assessment
of Sustainable Soil
Management

4. Guidance document
• Built on the principles of the VGSSM – should
get people thinking about the main soil threats
and what can be done.
• Can be adapted to specific situations (general
framework)

5. Objectives
To provide a starting point for the regional and
local assessments of sustainable soil
management.
1. To provide a framework for practitioners,
farm advisors and local government officials
to determine if current soil management
practices are sustainable. Where practices are
recognized as not sustainable, to identify
potential actions to improve the condition of
soils;

6. Objectives
2. To provide guidance to select and apply soil
indicators to develop ongoing assessment of
the sustainability of soil management
practices for any particular site or area.

7. Process
• Presented to the PA in June 2018
• Tasked to refine the protocol
• Change in the format/ content of the document
• Outline reviewed and approved by the ITPS
• Document underwent multiple rounds of edits
• Reviewed by ITPS, GSP Secretariat and other
soil experts.
• Tested in the field: result in the appendix

8. Key steps
• General description of the location, soil and land
use
• Identification of natural and off-site threats
• Description of current soil management practices
• Selection, measurement and recording of
Sustainable Soil Management indicators
• Interpretation of the results and recommendations
of improved practices to promote SSM
• Design and implementation of ongoing
management and monitoring plans

9. Next steps
• Develop a guidance document on the assessment
of whether soil management practices are
sustainable according to the SSM definition
• Compile a global database of best SSM practices
assessed using the assessment protocol
• Refine the global guidance to assess SSM practices
according to regional and national priorities and
contexts
• Compile regional and local sub-datasets of best
SSM practices assessed or implemented using the
refined protocol

10. Next steps
• Identify case studies at regional and national
levels where SSM is successfully implemented
based on the SSM assessment protocol.
• Map successful projects.
• Monitor where areas under SSM are increasing
or decreasing.
http://www.fao.org/3/CA2217EN/ca2217en.pdf

11. What is expected from the
PA?
• To disseminate this protocol to relevant
stakeholders
• To use this protocol at the local level
• To help with the next steps (connect GSP
Secretariat with relevant stakeholders at the
local level)

12. Economic benefits of SSM
• First draft of the concept note submitted at the
last Plenary Assembly in 2018
• Asked to refine
• Reviewed by ITPS members and external
experts

13. Thank you for your
attention!