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Brochure, flyer, fact-sheetBrochureStandard Operating Procedure for soil calcium carbonate equivalent - titrimetric method 2020
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GLOSOLAN is a Global Soil Laboratory Network which aims to harmonize soil analysis methods and data so that soil information is comparable and interpretable across laboratories, countries and regions. Evidence-based decisions are critical to the achievement of Sustainable Soil Management (SSM), food security and nutrition, and Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. While the quantity and quality of soil data are fundamental, soil information must also be harmonized and globally consistent to have impact. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are sets of step-by-step written instructions that help lab staff to carry out routine operations by describing, in detail, how to perform a laboratory process or experiment safely and effectively. SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality of output and uniformity of performance, while reducing miscommunication and failure to comply with laboratory and international standards. The harmonization of laboratory standard operating procedures and methods is at the basis of harmonizing soil laboratory data. -
BookletCorporate general interestStandard operating procedure for soil microbial biomass (carbon): chloroform fumigation-extraction method 2024
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No results found.Microbial biomass is considered as an estimation of soil biological activities and the capacity to mediate soil biochemical reactions. It is the most dynamic and labile of soil organic matter fractions, generally accounting for 1 to 5 percent of soil organic matter and very sensitive to soil management. The need to quantify soil microbiota has become increasingly relevant in current times as they are responsible for many different processes like the degradation of organic matter, the stability of aggregates and most of the nutrient cycling that occurs in soils. This standard operating procedure (SOP) focuses on the determination of soil microbial biomass using the chloroform fumigation-extraction method, which is applicable to both aerobic and anaerobic conditions over the whole range of soil pH, regardless of land use type. While chloroform fumigation also affects soil fauna, the carbon aliquot derived from these organisms is generally small (less than 5 percent) and can usually be disregarded. -
Brochure, flyer, fact-sheetBrochureStandard operating procedure for soil moisture content by gravimetric method 2023
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No results found.Soil moisture content is one of the fundamental properties used in making decisions related to soil management, such as land preparation, design of irrigation and drainage systems, construction, and risk management. Analytically, determination of air-dry moisture content (i.e. remaining moisture in soil, dried for laboratory analysis) is important, since it is used to express the results of other tests (e.g. carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, etc.) on an oven-dry basis. Soil moisture content analyzed by the gravimetric method has low operational difficulty and can be used for multiple purposes.
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Book (series)FlagshipThe State of Food and Agriculture 2019
Moving forward on food loss and waste reduction
2019The need to reduce food loss and waste is firmly embedded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Food loss and waste reduction is considered important for improving food security and nutrition, promoting environmental sustainability and lowering production costs. However, efforts to reduce food loss and waste will only be effective if informed by a solid understanding of the problem. This report provides new estimates of the percentage of the world’s food lost from production up to the retail level. The report also finds a vast diversity in existing estimates of losses, even for the same commodities and for the same stages in the supply chain. Clearly identifying and understanding critical loss points in specific supply chains – where considerable potential exists for reducing food losses – is crucial to deciding on appropriate measures. The report provides some guiding principles for interventions based on the objectives being pursued through food loss and waste reductions, be they in improved economic efficiency, food security and nutrition, or environmental sustainability. -
Brochure, flyer, fact-sheetBrochureThe 10 elements of agroecology
Guiding the transition to sustainable food and agricultural systems
2018Today’s food and agricultural systems have succeeded in supplying large volumes of food to global markets. However, high-external input, resource-intensive agricultural systems have caused massive deforestation, water scarcities, biodiversity loss, soil depletion and high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Despite significant progress in recent times, hunger and extreme poverty persist as critical global challenges. Even where poverty has been reduced, pervasive inequalities remain, hindering poverty eradication. Integral to FAO’s Common Vision for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, agroecology is a key part of the global response to this climate of instability, offering a unique approach to meeting significant increases in our food needs of the future while ensuring no one is left behind. Agroecology is an integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of food and agricultural systems. It seeks to optimize the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment while taking into consideration the social aspects that need to be addressed for a sustainable and fair food system. Agroecology is not a new invention. It can be identified in scientific literature since the 1920s, and has found expression in family farmers’ practices, in grassroots social movements for sustainability and the public policies of various countries around the world. More recently, agroecology has entered the discourse of international and UN institutions. -
Book (series)Technical reportWorld reference base for soil resources 2014
International soil classification system for naming soils and creating legends for soil maps - Update 2015
2015This publication is a revised and updated version of World Soil Resources Reports No. 84 and 103 and presents the international soil classification system. Every soil in the world can be allocated to one of the 32 Reference Soil Groups as defined in this document, and can further be characterized by a set of qualifiers. The resulting soil name provides information on soil genesis, soil ecological function and soil properties relevant for land use and management. The same system, refined slightly , may be used to name the units of soil map legends, thereby providing comprehensive spatial information. By accommodating national soil classification systems, the World Reference Base facilitates the worldwide correlation of soil information.