Objective B2 - Technology Database
Label Title Description Technology Database Provide an easily accessible database of good practices for Soil Health (SH) to practitioners A technology database allows land managers to quickly access information and build capacity to improve Soil Health (SH) and increase Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) for all agro-pedo-climatic regions. Targets B2 - Technology Database
Baseline 2020 Target 2030 Target 2050 Presently, the "4 per 1000" Initiative does not provide access to databases with relevant content, and existing databases on good agricultural practices do not systematically indicate the potential impact on SH and climate. An advanced and updated database is available for SOC and SH improvement in two other regions. Reviews and assessments are conducted every year. An advanced and updated database related to SOC and SH improvement is delivered globally.
Context B2 - Technology Database
Problem B2 - Technology Database
| Problem Statement | Description | Consequences |
|---|---|---|
| Information on best practices and expertise to improve the management of SOC and SH is challenging to access. | A whole range of management practices that foster SOC and SH is known globally. However, there are few databases on such practices. Those that exist are primarily site-specific, and growers have limited access to them. There is a need for a platform where people organize databases at different levels and share best practices with the global community in local languages. | Limited access to such a database restricts knowledge and awareness. Sustainable soil management is not applied extensively enough worldwide to levels that would revert the notion of agricultural lands from a GHG source to sinks. The diffusion and adoption process of sustainable management practices is slow and is superimposed by, e.g., large deforestation schemes and uncontrolled urbanization. |
Causes B2 - Technology Database
| N° | Cause | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lack of sustainable investment | Piece-meal / fragmentary initiatives and actions at a global scale to develop and maintain a technology database. These isolated efforts are hampered by various factors such as lack of capacity, institutions, resources, knowledge, etc. Therefore, communication regarding soil organic matter and SH has not been holistic. |
| 2 | Ignorance of factors determining adoption | Sustainable management practices are site and technology-specific. Globally, there is a lack of sufficient knowledge to advise on particular practices. Following MRV protocols is also challenging, as SOC increases can only be verified with certainty in the medium and long term. |
| 3 | Insufficient awareness | Because of misunderstanding about the role of soils and their health in climate change mitigation, most donors do not fully recognize the importance of soils. As a result, they are less committed to building the required capacity. |
| 4 | Lack of relevant content | Many regions of the world lack soil maps and databases with sufficient resolution for optimized soil management and technology transfer, as most Sustainable soil management is site-specific. |
Implementation strategy B2 - Technology Database
Activities B2 - Technology Database
| N° | Activity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capitalize on existing systems | Screen and build upon existing databases, such as WOCAT, and compilations, such as the Technical Manual on SOC management from FAO/GSP. |
| 2 | Define agro-ecological zones | Identify areas with similar climatic and socio-economic conditions for more specific recommendations for good management practices (sub-region identification). |
| 3 | Include local and indigenous knowledge | Consider local and indigenous knowledge and innovations for inclusion in the database. |
| 4 | Translate in multiple languages | Recruit helpers and coordinators from different regions to translate the content of the database and adjust it to suit the needs of local land managers. Consider the adoption of graphical schemes for better dissemination. |
| 5 | Train users | Training database users. |
| 6 | Enable participatory development | Ensure the participatory development of the database by the continuous collection of feedback. |
Critical Success Factors (CSFs) B2 - Technology Database
| N° | Critical Success Factor | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soil knowledge | Deep and sufficient knowledge of soil science is widespread. Land managers know the situation of their soils. Acquiring knowledge about soils must be the starting point to work on it, so sufficient information is needed from land users to play their role in soil fertilization and soil management in general. When defining site sustainability, local (endogenous) soil knowledge (LSK) must be valued and used. |
| 2 | Training of users | Extension services, farmer associations, and NGOs need training on SH and climate change. NGOs working in this field are the actors closest to the grassroots. Only if they have good information will they be able to sow seeds for a sustainable transformation in favor of soils. |
| 3 | Practical evidence | Collect available real-time evidence jointly with relevant groups, especially women farmers. Success stories of land management practices with quantifiable, scientifically valid, and contrasted evidence are the best way to disseminate and expand their application. |
| 4 | Adaptability | The database of good practices available should be based on systems thinking and locally adaptable. |
| 5 | Sustained funding | Policymakers support and provide the required resources for developing and maintaining the database. |
| 6 | User-friendly interface | The database should be easily accessible and have an interface that suits the needs of land managers in the field. |
| 7 | Agile development | Iterative and continued improvement of the database according to users' feedback. |
Barriers B2 - Technology Database
| N° | Barrier | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication tools | Multiple languages and illiteracy. |
| 2 | Push-back from agro-industry | Significant economic interests of agro-industry monopolizing the food production chains. International corporations control the food system to a large extent. Mobilizing local capacities can endanger their interests and bring forth their resistance. |
1 Comment
Vitoon R. Panyakul
To have significant impacts, we may need to work with some large scale agro-industry in the country.