Guidelines on how to establish a National Soil Laboratory Network

Abstract

The Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN) was established in 2017 to build and strengthen the capacity of laboratories in soil analysis and to respond to the need for harmonized soil analytical data. Harmonization of methods, units, data, and information is critical to: 1. Provide reliable and comparable information between countries and projects; 2. Allow the generation of new harmonized soil data sets; 3. Support evidence-based decision-making for sustainable soil management. The work of GLOSOLAN supports the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, and the mandate of FAO on food security and nutrition.

GLOSOLAN’s decisions are made using a bottom-up approach. Every year, laboratories from the same region have the opportunity to discuss their priorities and needs, as well as their position on the topics to be discussed at the annual GLOSOLAN meetings. In this regard, countries are organized into Regional Soil Laboratory Networks (RESOLANs), the skeleton of GLOSOLAN. Therefore, it is the responsibility of each RESOLAN Chair and vice-Chair to report on the position of their RESOLAN and to ensure that regional requests are included in the annual GLOSOLAN work plan. In addition to the regional networks, GLOSOLAN is promoting the establishment of National Soil Laboratory Networks (NASOLANs) to: 1. Allow all soil laboratories in the same country to interact with each other, to overcome common challenges and to help each other in building their capacity in soil analysis; 2. Promote harmonization processes of soil analysis at the national level; 3. Facilitate the transfer of knowledge acquired by the laboratories participating in GLOSOLAN activities at the national level. Indeed, laboratories benefiting from GLOSOLAN training should transfer the knowledge acquired to other laboratories in their country. This process is also critical to overcoming language and cultural barriers.

It is the responsibility of each National Reference Laboratory to lead the establishment of its NASOLAN and to coordinate the implementation of GLOSOLAN activities at the country level. This document aims to provide guidelines on the establishment of National Soil Laboratory Networks to National Reference Laboratories and to all other soil laboratories that wish to join efforts, even when a National Reference Laboratory is not yet nominated or is inactive. The information contained in this document is based on the experience of countries that have already established NASOLANs.