The 21st World Congress of Soil Science Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 12 - 17 August 2018

1. Unlocking the potential of soil
organic carbon
Ronald Vargas

3. Sustainable
Development
Goals

4. What to promote in terms of SOC?
• Consistent with our approach, ITPS suggested the organization of a
Global Symposium on SOC together with other organizations.
• Bringing scientific evidence for policy making.
• For positioning soils and SOC in the decision making agenda.
• Setting a way forward where we can foster feasible options.

5. Milestone event:
First time that a scientific
symposium of this nature
is co-organized by
different organizations
and bodies of the United
Nations to gather
scientific evidence for
policy development on
the role of SOC for climate
change, food security and
SDGs agendas.
Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon

7. • 8 recommendations
paving the way forward for
the global SOC work.
Through the development
of policies and
implementation of actions
to foster the protection,
sequestration,
measurement, mapping,
monitoring and reporting
of SOC.
• Partners are currently
working on the
implementation of the
Outcome Document and
specific recommendations.

8. SOC: sequestering more?
- Efforts should be made to at least MAINTAIN current SOC stocks (by
reducing degradation).
- Ideally, we should foster SOC Sequestration through proven and
locally contextualized practices, WHEREVER IS SCIENTIFICALLY
SUITABLE (not all soils).
- Innovation is crucial for this, but we should be innovative in sound
practices, no renaming or creating new concepts only.

9. Recommendations :
MEASURING, MAPPING, MONITORING AND REPORTING
SOC STOCKS AND STOCK CHANGES
1. Organize capacity development and training for countries to develop national
reference values for SOC stocks, as well as the necessary data management
capacities and facilities.
2. Establish a working group to develop feasible and regionally contextualized
guidelines for measuring, mapping, monitoring and reporting on SOC that
can be adapted locally to monitor SOC stocks and stock changes to support
management decisions.

10. Recommendations :
FOSTERING SOC SEQUESTRATION
3. In estimates of the potential for SOC sequestration, include the full GHG balance and
consider possible interactions between the carbon and nitrogen cycles that could affect the
climate change mitigation potential of applied practices.
4. The design of implementation strategies and appropriate soil and land management
practices for SOC protection and sequestration should consider land use and the local
environmental, socio-economic, cultural and institutional contexts, and potential barriers
to adoption.
5. Identify and specify the tangible short-term and long-term benefits for farmers of
management practices for SOC sequestration to trigger their adoption, and introduce
mechanisms to incentivize the adoption of such practices.

11. Recommendations :
MANAGING SOC IN SOILS WITH HIGH SOC
(PEATLANDS, PERMAFROST AND BLACK SOILS)
6. Prevent SOC losses by maintaining current SOC stocks (especially
in carbon-rich soils) as the minimum action on SOC management.
7. Prioritize sustainable management actions on soils with the highest carbon
stocks in the development of national and regional policies on soil
conservation to prevent SOC losses.
8. Support land-users sufficiently to implement and sustain appropriate soil and
land management practices to protect and enhance SOC under local
conditions for long-term benefit.

12. Recommendation 1: Organize capacity development and
training for countries to develop national reference values for
SOC stocks, as well as the necessary data management
capacities and facilities.
• 150 experts from
110 countries
covering 60% of
the world area.
SOC mapping

14. Recommendation 2: Establish a working group to develop
feasible and regionally contextualized guidelines for measuring,
mapping, monitoring and reporting on SOC that can be adapted
locally to monitor SOC stocks and stock changes to support
management decisions.
• 135 experts from
all GSP Regions
responded to the
Call
!WE ARE HERE!

15. Recommendation 3: In estimates of the potential for SOC sequestration,
include the full GHG balance and consider possible interactions between
the carbon and nitrogen cycles that could affect the climate change
mitigation potential of applied practices.
Recommendation 4: The design of implementation strategies and
appropriate soil and land management practices for SOC protection and
sequestration should consider land use and the local environmental,
socio-economic, cultural and institutional contexts, and potential
barriers to adoption.
Recommendation 5: Identify and specify the tangible short-term and
long-term benefits for farmers of management practices for SOC
sequestration to trigger their adoption, and introduce mechanisms to
incentivize the adoption of such practices.

16. The VGSSM is generally compatible with the
SM of SOC. It is general in nature, however
should be refined at the national and local
scales to encompass site-specific condition:
• Climate
• Soil type
• Land use and
• Farm typology

17. • 220 people answered the call
• 80 replied to the online questionnaire
• 130 actively participating
• Online participation and collaboration
• Formal format with the editorial rules
• Google docs for editing and correcting
Working group to produce a technical manual on SOC
management at the regional and sub-regional scale

18. Synthesis of the process for generating the structure of the technical
manual on SOC management
Regional Soil Partnerships Global ecological zones
LADA Global Map
of Land Use Systems
Synthesis:
LADA Global Map of LUS
Call for the establishment
of a WG and definition of
the structure of the
manual
Online survey
filling and sending resultsDefinition of the timelineReview by ITPS and other
stakeholders
LAUNCH OF THE TECHNICAL
MANUAL ON SOC MANAGEMENT

19. Structure of the technical manual on SOC management
3. Recommended management
practices and actions for
preservation and/or
enhancement of SOC
1. Unmanaged and Protected Lands (including
virgin forests, rangelands, grassland,
shrublands,
2. Forestry (managed/silviculture).
3. Forestry with agricultural or livestock
activities: agroforestry, silvopastoral
systems.
4. Grassland, shrublands, and bare and sparse
areas with low, moderate, and high
livestock density.
5. Rainfed agriculture - subsistence and
familiar.
6. Rainfed agriculture – commercial.
7. Irrigated agriculture.
8. Rainfed or irrigated agriculture with
livestock.
9. Urban areas.
10. Wetlands with agricultural activities.

20. TIMELINE
!WE ARE HERE!

21. Recommendation 6: Prevent SOC losses by maintaining
current SOC stocks (especially in carbon-rich soils) as the
minimum action on SOC management.
Recommendation 7: Prioritize soils with the highest carbon
stocks in the development of national and regional policies
on soil conservation to prevent SOC losses.
Recommendation 8: Support land-users sufficiently to
implement and sustain appropriate soil and land
management practices to protect and enhance SOC under
local conditions for long-term benefit.

22. International Network on Black Soils
• To provide a platform for countries with
BS to discuss common issues related to
the conservation and SM of BS.
• To develop a report on the global status.
• To foster collaboration among countries.
• To identify relevant research gaps.
• To develop governance guidelines.
International Symposium on Black Soils
• State the status of black soil resources.
• Promote sustainable use and management of black soils.
• Build Concept Note and Framework of INBS.
• Initiate work plans and projects of INBS.
• Organize a outcome document and a global status report
on black soils.

23. Koronivia: capitalizing on the expertise captured under the GSP
process
Improved soil carbon, soil health and soil fertility under
grassland and cropland as well as integrated systems,
including water management.

24. What's Next?
• Interpretation of GSOC
map.
• Global SOC Monitoring
System based on the
GSOCmap.
• Potential of carbon
sequestration of global
soils.