Year of publication 2024

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Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

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Pages 9

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Publisher FAO ;

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Product type Project

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Synopsis (short abstract) Soil degradation, particularly on agricultural and pastoral land, is a threat to the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region and presents significant risks to food production. The region's limited land availability further compounds the already challenging situation of stagnant agricultural productivity. Several factors contribute to the degradation of soil, namely salinization, sodification, the depletion of soil organic carbon, loss of vegetation cover, and soil pollution due to the excessive application of fertilizers and pesticides. Given this context, FAO’s Global Soil Partnership (GSP) sought to enhance the understanding of soil conditions in NENA and build the capacities of national experts on sustainable soil management (SSM). The project also aimed to develop collaboration and synergy in efforts between all regional and country-level stakeholders, facilitated by the project’s regional plenaries and action plans. As such, the project directly contributed to the work of the NENA Soil Partnership, which was established in 2012 to enhance collaboration between member countries in the region. Under the framework of the Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN) and its regional branch in NENA (NENALAB), the project worked to improve the capacity and performance of soil analyses in the laboratories of all participating countries. Key areas of focus included internal and external quality assurance, quality control, equipment use and maintenance, sample collection and analysis, and the interpretation and reporting of laboratory results. By addressing key technical concerns of the agricultural sector, the project provided strong technical capacity-building support to the existing government programmes and initiatives.

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Language English

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Also available in:

• French

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