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MeetingRegional Implementation Plan for the African Soil Partnership 2016
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No results found.Land, or soil, is the main resource base for many people in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is especially important for the rural population. With an estimated population growth for SSA from the current 900 million to 1.4 billion in 2030, the region’s soils will experience increasing pressure as a natural resource to provide for the needs of its people. With an estimated 65% of arable lands, 30% of grazing land and 20% of forests already degraded in Africa, the region has the potential to position itsel f as champion in terms of increasing food production and security, achieving land restoration, and increasing agricultural resilience to climate change. Sustainable soil management is vital to achieving these goals and, for this reason, is one of the cornerstones of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP). The African Soil Partnership caters for the Sub-Saharan Africa which includes 45 African countries. The AfSP Implementation Plan is based on regional priorities in terms of the Pillar recommendation s in their respective Plans of Action. This document is the product of a collaborative effort, mostly via email, involving participants from the two sub-regional launch events, as well as later participants in digital soil mapping training, representatives from regional institutions involved as partners and, finally, national GSP focal points as nominated by the respective country representatives. The main challenges associated with sustainable soil management in SSA were identified as: Inade quate capacity, knowledge and experience to plan and implement SSM and optimally manage, mitigate and monitor the productive and degradation status of the soils; especially under intensive cultivation. Where regional and national SSM policies exist, financing is often not a priority and/or implementation can be ineffective due to a lack of political will or a lack of implementation capacity. In many countries, policies regulating soil use are lacking. Soil information/data at national level is often inadequate, outdated, not in digital format and not georeferenced. Data availability is further restricted by intellectual property often held by private institutions that are not willing to share data for national use, or data needs to be paid for prior to use. Lack of national or umbrella organizations leading the campaign to promote and create awareness of SSM. Weak linkages between researchers, farmers and extension services to optimize information exchange. Addressing these cha llenges and increasing SSM implementation encompasses various aspects that are crucial to its success. Under the five Pillars of the GSP, the various components of sustainable soil management can be addressed and managed to enable a holistic approach to improved soil management for long term soil protection while simultaneously providing for human livelihoods. In SSA, crop production often occurs on already underperforming and poor quality soils using poor management practices and low use of ext ernal inputs. Over time, this leads to further decreases in soil quality, degradation of soil resources and resultant declines in food production and quality. The region’s soils are especially vulnerable to degradation, especially in drier climates. During the launch workshop of the African Soil Partnership, most countries reported the occurrence of both chemical and physical soil degradation which leads to low soil productivity and yield gaps in many countries 4 which in turn leads to fo od imports. The development of SSM solutions should not only consider the implementation environment, site specific characteristics and the necessary enabling environment, but also the causes of improper soil management to date in order to develop cause-driven rather than symptom-driven solutions. This Implementation Plan sets out the road map for the next 5 years to achieve SSM over the longer term and includes a large number of outputs and activities which are considered priority in this first phase of establishing the AfSP. It is envisaged that funding for these activities will be secured by capitalizing on existing in-country initiatives and activities, as well as by actively sourcing additional external funding. Since the GSP is a voluntary initiative, it calls for the strong support of national governments, as well as national and regional entities involved in natural resource management to contribute to achieving the common goal of improved and sustainable soil management. Under Pillar 1 (Promote sustainable management of soil resources and improved global governance for soil protection and sustainable productivity) the implementation plan proposes that soil degradation and restoration hotspots, as well as soil potential for agriculture be mapped for major agro-ecological zones. This will enable the identification of priority areas for SSM implementation to be initiated under this plan. A SSM implementation monitoring system is further proposed to measure success of SS M initiatives and monitor the status of the soil resources. Under Pillar 2 (Encourage investment, technical cooperation, policy, education, awareness and extension in soil) it is proposed that SSM partner platforms be established to foster awareness and investment towards SSM implementation. To build soil science capacity, a regional tertiary soil science training exchange programme is proposed to increase the number of soil scientists trained at tertiary level. In addition, it is proposed that soil science education be included at secondary school level to educate learners from a young age about the importance of soil. The importance of soil extension services is highlighted, as well as the need for region-specific policy recommendations to support SSM development and implementation. Pillar 3 (Promote targeted soil research and development focusing on identified gaps, priorities, and synergies with related productive, environmental, and social development actions) focuses on soil rese arch for development. Under this Pillar it is proposed that an African Soil Research for Development Platform be established to bring soil research for development partners. Its main aim is to align efforts and resources towards improving the management of soil fertility and soil health, increasing productivity while protecting the soil resources and restoring productivity on degraded soils. This would include identifying soil-related research gaps and establishing regional research working grou ps to collaboratively address on these gaps. Under Pillar 4 (Enhance the quantity and quality of soil data and information: data collection [generation], analysis, validation, reporting, monitoring and integration with other disciplines) addresses the need for soil data and information to support decision making and monitoring. The implementation plan proposes that an inventory be developed of all soil and related data in the region and an African soil database be developed and maintained. Train ing in digital soil mapping is proposed to increase soil mapping capacity in an effort to produce new and updated maps for the region. Under Pillar 5 (Harmonisation of methods, measurements and indicators for the sustainable management and protection of soil resources) the implementation plan calls for the development of 5 a harmonization procedure for soil classification and soil description. In addition, it proposes that regional reference laboratories be identified and supported to en able soil analysis towards increasing national and regional soil data. Outcomes and activities are presented in separate log frames per Pillar, along with the associated budgets and time frames. Since the GSP is a voluntary initiative, it calls for the strong support of national governments, as well as national and regional entities involved in natural resource management to contribute to achieving the common goal of improved and sustainable soil management. The list of outputs may be considered optimistic, considering the 5-year timeline, but it is the view of the AfSP that these outputs are essential to moving forward towards achieving SSM in the region over the longer term. The aim of this implementation plan is therefore to solicit buy-in, support and active participation from additional partners to increase collaboration in soil management activities -
DocumentFAO at work 2014
Indonesia
2014Also available in:
No results found.In the past few years FAO Indonesia has been operating in a changing external and internal environment: (a) FAO has already established its Strategic Objectives, after a comprehensive reform process, taking a programmatic, decentralized and regional approach to dealing with the global challenges in supporting member countries in their efforts on food and nutrition security, climate change and shaping the overall future of agriculture; (b) Indonesia is a middle income developing country, reaching the Millennium Development Goal on hunger reduction achieving 6% average annual growth for the last 10 years; (c) traditional donors have also changed their approach and are considered as resource partners in accomplishing common interests and objectives with Government and the UN System; (d) Government of Indonesia has made efforts to set its objectives and show its commitment to implement South-South Cooperation. Being one of the most disaster prone countries on earth, Indonesia's natural env ironment, more specifically biodiversity, has come under pressure with visible effects of climate change being experienced. Food security has been high on the policy agenda; with 240 million mouths to feed with limited and already degraded natural resources. There is an obvious need for a strong partnership to match the priorities, resources and objectives of the government, resource partners and FAO to maximise our joint concerted efforts to support Indonesia and other countries in the region. During recent years FAO Programmes and projects in Indonesia have operated within this framework. Our contribution is focused more on technical support for policy advocacy, in addition to some disaster risk reduction and rehabilitation projects and the ECTAD (Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases) and Emerging Pandemic Threats Programme and some FAO regional programmes and projects. FAO brings its long standing expertise and experience to provide technical support to the government through integrated programmes and projects, along with policy support guidelines and tools. Our joint country program with the Indonesian Government, currently called the National Medium Term Priority Framework will be renewed as the Country Programming Framework (CPF) next year. FAO Indonesia's contribution has been mainly in the form of technical cooperation for policy advocacy and emergency assistance with the involvement of our regional office and Headquarters. This booklet covers some of o ur activities within the changing environment and we hope it will be a useful reference on FAO Indonesia. -
ArticlePost-2015 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals: Where Are We Now? Global Opportunities to Address Malnutrition in all Its Forms, Including Hidden Hunger 2018
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No results found.Combatting malnutrition in all its forms - undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight, and obesity - is one of the greatest challenges that countries are facing. Much has happened in less than 10 years to redefine the international nutrition landscape and place nutrition at the heart of global development efforts. The food crises of 2008 and the Lancet first series on maternal and child undernutrition helped galvanize world attention. The enormous health and economic consequences of malnutrition were recognized, and far more attention began to be paid to the multiple burdens of malnutrition. In 2014, the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) endorsed 2 outcome documents, committing world leaders to establishing national policies aimed at eliminating malnutrition in all its forms, including hidden hunger, and transforming food systems to make nutritious diets available to all. In 2015, 193 Member States of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global objectives to guide the actions of the international community over the next 15 years (2016-2030). Member States placed high priority on addressing malnutrition in all its forms by committing, under SDG 2, to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.” However, nutrition has also a role to play in achieving other goals of the 2030 Agenda, including goals related to poverty, health, education, social protection, gender, water, work, growth, inequality, and climate change. In 2016, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the ICN2 outcome documents and proclaimed the years 2016-2025 as the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition. The Nutrition Decade reaffirmed the commitments under the ICN2 and the 2030 Agenda to end malnutrition in all its forms. Together, the ICN2, the 2030 Agenda, and the Nutrition Decade have placed nutrition firmly at the heart of the development agenda with the recognition that transformed food systems have a fundamental role to play in promoting healthy diets and improving nutrition. This paper reviews the major international nutrition system changes called for, and provides an analysis of recent governance initiatives to address malnutrition in all its forms, including hidden hunger problems. See also https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/484334
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