Encourage Investment, Technical Cooperation, Policy, Education, Awareness and Extension

PLAN OF ACTION FOR PILLAR TWO FOR THE EUROSIAN SOIL PARTNERSHIP

Dr. Hakki Emrah ERDOGANDG-Agricultural Reform(Design and Implementation of Agricultural Polices)hakki.erdogan@tarim.gov.tr

The Action Plan is based on the presumption that the current lack of investment and political will reflects an overall lack of societal awareness and appreciation, which is a result of the deficiencies in soil education at all levels.

The formulation process for Pillar 2 Plan of Action started at the European Network on Soil Awareness workshop held in September 2013 at the James Hutton Institute.

A working group (leaded by Arwin Jones from EC-JRC) was established and they worked very hard to produce a final plan of action that was endorsed in GSP Plenary Assembly (22-24 July 2014)

BACKROUND

WHY WE NEED TO PİLLAR 2

Investment and technical cooperation for soils have been lacking.

Soil knowledge and soil implications on water, climate, biodiversity, energy, food and poverty issues are not properly addressed in the general education system.

Creating public awareness on the importance of sustaining soils and their functions.

The Plan of Action (PoA) for Pillar 2 designed to consists of six interlinked and interdependent components:

Major components of Pillar 2

Policy and the Role of Different Institutions

In 1982, the FAO adopted a World Soil Charter detailing basic principles and guidelines for sustainable soil management and soil protection to be followed by governments, international organizations and users of the land.

But, in many countries, many of the principles of the Charter have not or are not being applied.

As a response, GSP underlines that politicians and policy makers must take note of the total value of soil and how it is being utilized across their territories.

Education:

It allows citizens to understand the need to build, promote and require their governments to create appropriate soil-related policies is also required.

It also extends into a society’s ability to obtain, manage and administrate the financing, investment and resources. In this respect the provision of relevant education the farming community, as guardians of the soil, is important

Soil science education should follow with actual research priorities as for instance the impacts of climate change on soils and food security. To increase data on soil properties and analyzed in a socio-economic perspective, soil science should become integrated and adapted to attain targeted demands and needs on the ground.

Public Awareness:

Public awareness supports efforts to involve private sector, indigenous and local communities and NGOs to engage on soil related activities.

There has been little engagement between the soil scientist and the public.

Soil scientists have evolved to communicate soil through a complex language, dominated by a technical vocabulary that is incomprehensible to almost everyone outside the soil science community.

Our activities should be structured in a way that ensures active participation and discovery in understanding the links between soil, its functions and cause-effect relationships in its use and misuse.

Extension

Soil extension services provide a link between soil users, indigenous communities, land managers and other users of soil and the science community.

It needs to interpret and present relevant research-based information to stakeholders in an understandable and usable form.

They can offer vast quantities of data, information and advice to the agricultural sector in many countries, driven largely by the need for soil testing and plant diagnostic services.

It can promote farmer to farmer learning to facilitate and disseminate knowledge as well as to earn trust among soil users

Investment:

Investments are tangible products of growing awareness on the importance of soil resources.

Investments should target relevant skills and support development and entrepreneurship among soil users.

More effective public and private investments are needed among all ranges of soil users, at small scale and large scale, ensuring more sustainable projects.

Technical cooperation:

It aims at assisting in mobilizing resources for soil-protective agriculture, forestry, rural development, food security, nutrition and resilience (in particular for technology transfer and capacity building).

Build up collaboration agreement between institution in the region.

Promote a long-term partnership on the management of soil resources.

WHAT WE SHOULD DO ?

We should develop implementation plan for Pilar 2, we will design a mechanism for capacity building and technical cooperation on soils in our region.

We should also assess the available soils expertise, capacities and interests and respective gaps of both the private and public sectors.

We needs to call for a systematic awareness raising campaign in our region on how soil relates to people’s everyday lives.

This should be brief and vivid messages for the society and decision makers.

It should not be only as part of the World Soil Day celebrations and during the forthcoming International Year of Soils in 2015, but also as a sustained long-term outreach and engagement programme.

LET ‘S JOİN US TO BEING PART OF IMPLAMENTATION PLAN