Prepared by
Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS)
Preface | Scope of The State of the
World’s Soil Resources
The main objectives of The State of the World’s Soil Resources are: (a) to provide a global scientific
assessment of current and projected soil conditions built on regional data analysis and expertise;
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| Status of the Soil Resources |
(b) to
explore the implications of these soil conditions for food security, climate change, water quality and quantity,
biodiversity, and human health and wellbeing; and (c) to conclude with a series of recommendations for action
by policymakers and other stakeholders.
The book is divided into two parts. The first part deals with global soil issues (Chapters 1 to 8). This is
followed by a more specific assessment of regional soil change, covering in turn Africa South of the Sahara,
Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Near East and North Africa, North America, the Southwest
Pacific and Antarctica. (Chapters 9 to 16). The technical and executive summaries are published separately.
In Chapter 1 the principles of the World Soil Charter are discussed, including guidelines for stakeholders to ensure that soils are managed sustainably and that degraded soils are rehabilitated or restored. For long, soil was considered almost exclusively in the context of food production. However, with the increasing impact of humans on the environment, the connections between soil and broader environmental concerns have been made and new and innovative ways of relating soils to people have begun to emerge in the past two decades. Societal issues such as food security, sustainability, climate change, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, and degradation through erosion and loss of organic matter and nutrients are all closely related to the soil resource. These ecosystem services provided by the soil and the soil functions that support these services are central to the discussion in the report.
In Chapter 2 synergies and trade-offs are reviewed, together with the role of soils in supporting ecosystem services, and their role in underpinning natural capital. The discussion then covers knowledge - and knowledge gaps - on the role of soils in the carbon, nitrogen and water cycles, and on the role of soils as a habitat for organisms and as a genetic pool. This is followed in Chapter 3 by an overview of the diversity of global soil resources and of the way they have been assessed in the past. Chapter 4 reviews the various anthropogenic and natural pressures - in particular, land use and soil management – which cause chemical, physical and biological variations in soils and the consequent changes in environmental services assured by those soils.
Land use and soil management are in turn largely determined by socio-economic conditions. These conditions are the subject of Chapter 5, which discusses in particular the role of population dynamics, market access, education and cultural values as well as the wealth or poverty of the land users. Climate change and its anticipated effects on soils are also discussed in this chapter. Chapter 6 discusses the current global status and trends of the major soil processes threatening ecosystem services. These include soil erosion, soil organic carbon loss, soil contamination, soil acidification, soil salinization, soil biodiversity loss, soil surface effects, soil nutrient status, soil compaction and soil moisture conditions.
Chapter 7 undertakes an assessment of the ways in which soil change is likely to impact on soil functions and the likely consequences for ecosystem service delivery. Each subsection in this chapter outlines key soil processes involved with the delivery of goods and services and how these are changing. The subsections then review how these changes affect soil function and the soil’s contribution to ecosystem service delivery. The discussion is organized according to the reporting categories of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, including provisioning, supporting, regulating and cultural services. Chapter 8 of the report explores policy, institutional and land use management options and responses to soil changes that are available to governments and land users. The regional assessments in Chapters 9 to 16 follow a standard outline: after a brief description of the main biophysical features of each region, the status and trends of each major soil threat are discussed. Each chapter ends with one or more national case studies of soil change and a table summarizing the results, including the status and trends of soil changes in the region and related uncertainties.
In Chapter 1 the principles of the World Soil Charter are discussed, including guidelines for stakeholders to ensure that soils are managed sustainably and that degraded soils are rehabilitated or restored. For long, soil was considered almost exclusively in the context of food production. However, with the increasing impact of humans on the environment, the connections between soil and broader environmental concerns have been made and new and innovative ways of relating soils to people have begun to emerge in the past two decades. Societal issues such as food security, sustainability, climate change, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, and degradation through erosion and loss of organic matter and nutrients are all closely related to the soil resource. These ecosystem services provided by the soil and the soil functions that support these services are central to the discussion in the report.
In Chapter 2 synergies and trade-offs are reviewed, together with the role of soils in supporting ecosystem services, and their role in underpinning natural capital. The discussion then covers knowledge - and knowledge gaps - on the role of soils in the carbon, nitrogen and water cycles, and on the role of soils as a habitat for organisms and as a genetic pool. This is followed in Chapter 3 by an overview of the diversity of global soil resources and of the way they have been assessed in the past. Chapter 4 reviews the various anthropogenic and natural pressures - in particular, land use and soil management – which cause chemical, physical and biological variations in soils and the consequent changes in environmental services assured by those soils.
Land use and soil management are in turn largely determined by socio-economic conditions. These conditions are the subject of Chapter 5, which discusses in particular the role of population dynamics, market access, education and cultural values as well as the wealth or poverty of the land users. Climate change and its anticipated effects on soils are also discussed in this chapter. Chapter 6 discusses the current global status and trends of the major soil processes threatening ecosystem services. These include soil erosion, soil organic carbon loss, soil contamination, soil acidification, soil salinization, soil biodiversity loss, soil surface effects, soil nutrient status, soil compaction and soil moisture conditions.
Chapter 7 undertakes an assessment of the ways in which soil change is likely to impact on soil functions and the likely consequences for ecosystem service delivery. Each subsection in this chapter outlines key soil processes involved with the delivery of goods and services and how these are changing. The subsections then review how these changes affect soil function and the soil’s contribution to ecosystem service delivery. The discussion is organized according to the reporting categories of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, including provisioning, supporting, regulating and cultural services. Chapter 8 of the report explores policy, institutional and land use management options and responses to soil changes that are available to governments and land users. The regional assessments in Chapters 9 to 16 follow a standard outline: after a brief description of the main biophysical features of each region, the status and trends of each major soil threat are discussed. Each chapter ends with one or more national case studies of soil change and a table summarizing the results, including the status and trends of soil changes in the region and related uncertainties.
Foreword
This document presents the first major global assessment ever on soils and related issues.
Why was such an assessment not carried out before? We have taken soils for granted for a long time.
Nevertheless, soils are the foundation of food production and food security, supplying plants with nutrients,
water, and support for their roots. Soils function as Earth’s largest water filter and storage tank; they contain
more carbon than all above-ground vegetation, hence regulating emissions of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases; and they host a tremendous diversity of organisms of key importance to ecosystem
processes.
However, we have been witnessing a reversal in attitudes, especially in light of serious concerns expressed by soil practitioners in all regions about the severe threats to this natural resource. In this more auspicious context, when the international community is fully recognizing the need for concerted action , the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS), the main scientific advisory body to the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), took the initiative to prepare this much needed assessment.
The issuance of this first “Status of the World’s Soil Resources” report was most appropriately timed with the occasion of the International Year of Soils (2015) declared by the General Assembly of the United Nations. It was made possible by the commitment and contributions of hosts of reputed soil scientists and their institutions. Our gratitude goes to the Lead Authors, Contributing Authors, Editors and Reviewers who have participated in this effort, and in particular to the Chairperson of the ITPS, for his dedicated guidance and close follow up. Many governments have supported the participation of their resident scientists in the process and contributed resources, thus also assuring the participation of experts from developing countries and countries with economies in transition. In addition, a Technical Summary was acknowledged by representatives of governments assembled in the Plenary Assembly of the GSP, signaling their appreciation of the many potential uses of the underlying report. Even more comprehensive and inclusive arrangements will be sought in the preparations of further, updated versions.
The report is aimed at scientists, laymen and policy makers alike. It provides in particular an essential benchmark against periodical assessment and reporting of soil functions and overall soil health at global and regional levels. This is of particular relevance to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that the international community pledged to achieve. Indeed, these goals can only be achieved if the crucial natural resources – of which soils is one – are sustainably managed. The main message of this first edition is that, while there is cause for optimism in some regions, the majority of the world’s soil resources are in only fair, poor or very poor condition. Today, 33 percent of land is moderately to highly degraded due to the erosion, salinization, compaction, acidification and chemical pollution of soils. Further loss of productive soils would severely damage food production and food security, amplify food-price volatility, and potentially plunge millions of people into hunger and poverty. But the report also offers evidence that this loss of soil resources and functions can be avoided.
Sustainable soil management, using scientific and local knowledge and evidence-based, proven approaches and technologies, can increase nutritious food supply, provide a valuable lever for climate regulation and safeguarding ecosystem services.We can expect that the extensive analytical contents of this report will greatly assist in galvanizing action at all levels towards sustainable soil management, also in line with the recommendations contained in the updated World Soil Charter and as a firm contribution to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. We are proud to make this very first edition of the Status of the World’s Soil Resources report available for the international community, and reiterate once again our commitment to a world free of poverty, hunger and malnutrition.
However, we have been witnessing a reversal in attitudes, especially in light of serious concerns expressed by soil practitioners in all regions about the severe threats to this natural resource. In this more auspicious context, when the international community is fully recognizing the need for concerted action , the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS), the main scientific advisory body to the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), took the initiative to prepare this much needed assessment.
The issuance of this first “Status of the World’s Soil Resources” report was most appropriately timed with the occasion of the International Year of Soils (2015) declared by the General Assembly of the United Nations. It was made possible by the commitment and contributions of hosts of reputed soil scientists and their institutions. Our gratitude goes to the Lead Authors, Contributing Authors, Editors and Reviewers who have participated in this effort, and in particular to the Chairperson of the ITPS, for his dedicated guidance and close follow up. Many governments have supported the participation of their resident scientists in the process and contributed resources, thus also assuring the participation of experts from developing countries and countries with economies in transition. In addition, a Technical Summary was acknowledged by representatives of governments assembled in the Plenary Assembly of the GSP, signaling their appreciation of the many potential uses of the underlying report. Even more comprehensive and inclusive arrangements will be sought in the preparations of further, updated versions.
The report is aimed at scientists, laymen and policy makers alike. It provides in particular an essential benchmark against periodical assessment and reporting of soil functions and overall soil health at global and regional levels. This is of particular relevance to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that the international community pledged to achieve. Indeed, these goals can only be achieved if the crucial natural resources – of which soils is one – are sustainably managed. The main message of this first edition is that, while there is cause for optimism in some regions, the majority of the world’s soil resources are in only fair, poor or very poor condition. Today, 33 percent of land is moderately to highly degraded due to the erosion, salinization, compaction, acidification and chemical pollution of soils. Further loss of productive soils would severely damage food production and food security, amplify food-price volatility, and potentially plunge millions of people into hunger and poverty. But the report also offers evidence that this loss of soil resources and functions can be avoided.
Sustainable soil management, using scientific and local knowledge and evidence-based, proven approaches and technologies, can increase nutritious food supply, provide a valuable lever for climate regulation and safeguarding ecosystem services.We can expect that the extensive analytical contents of this report will greatly assist in galvanizing action at all levels towards sustainable soil management, also in line with the recommendations contained in the updated World Soil Charter and as a firm contribution to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. We are proud to make this very first edition of the Status of the World’s Soil Resources report available for the international community, and reiterate once again our commitment to a world free of poverty, hunger and malnutrition.
JOSÉ GRAZIANO DA SILVA
FAO Director-General
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