Presentation

2022 will remain a special year in many aspects even if the CoVid 19, which has not finished striking humanity with new variants, seems to be in a phase of decline. As a consequence of climate change, many countries have experienced extreme weather events (high temperatures or prolonged frosts, extreme drought, unusually heavy rainfall, hail, storms, violent thunderstorms, etc.) that have greatly destabilized their agriculture and their natural environments, jeopardizing the food security of their population and their biodiversity. A conflict that was thought to be improbable has come knocking on Europe's doorstep and has caused regional and global disruptions in the energy, food and many other production markets, to the point of weakening the planet's economy.

Once again, it is the "health of the soil" that is at the heart of the international initiative "4 per 1000: Soil for Food Security and Climate". Even if the war in Ukraine is not a direct result of soil health, access to the organic-rich black soils of the Ukrainian Great Plains, rightly considered the breadbasket of Europe, is one of the issues at stake in this conflict.

Addressing this issue of soil health as an absolute priority to achieve all the objectives of the major United Nations conventions on climate change, combating desertification and preserving biodiversity, must be placed at the top of the international agenda. This is a task to which the International Initiative "4 per 1000" is particularly committed in 2022, a year in which the Conferences of the Parties of these three conventions met, as they do only every two years.

In this extremely heavy context after two years dominated by the CoVid 19 pandemic, Sharm El Sheikh hosted the 27th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. As it was the case in Abidjan last May, the "4 per 1000" Initiative and its partners, members and friends brought "soil health" as the major and priority topic through its now traditional "4 per 1000" Day held on the sidelines of the COP 27.

The objectives of the Strategic Plan 2020-2050 of the "4 per 1000" Initiative are more relevant than ever for our unique multi-stakeholder partnership in the field of food security and climate change, which brings together nearly 720 members and partners (countries, international organizations, research and educational institutions, agricultural and forestry producer groups, non-governmental organizations, companies, etc.). The Strategic Implementation Plan, which is intended to translate the strategic plan into operational terms until 2050, was presented and discussed after it had been validated by the Consortium of Members in August 2022. The Initiative had thus entered a phase of concrete achievements on the ground thanks to the support of its members, partners and supporters.

As part of the 7th Day of the "4 per 1000" Initiative, which was held on November 16 in a hybrid version, the Forum of Partners was opened by a High Level Segment moderated by the Chair of the "4 per 1000" International Initiative. Its theme was "Healthy Soils for a Healthy Planet". Numerous personalities representing 4 per 1000 partner structures (countries or regions, international organizations, agricultural producers' organizations, NGOs, research centers, companies, etc.) presented their point of view as well as the actions they are and will be deploying in this regard.

At the end of the morning, the annual activity report of the International Initiative "4 per 1000" was presented by the Executive Secretariat, followed by the presentation of the Activity Report of the STC (Scientific and Technical Committee) by the Co-Chair of the Committee. In the afternoon, the Consortium of Members held its meeting, for the presentation and adoption of the roadmap and the 2023 budget.

Since 2020 and the COVID crisis, the attention of politicians and private players seemed to be now focused on the environmental challenges of our modes of economic development. Climate change, biodiversity, to which we can add desertification, were given top priority, and we sensed a general movement of hope to meet these global challenges, along with the need for food security and health for all.

We have seen countries turning in on themselves, with less impetus for solidarity and international cooperation and, at the same time, a greater quest for self-sufficiency and autonomy in their food supply. The increase in the price of energy, raw materials, fertilizers and therefore foodstuffs, as well as the inflation that has resulted, have put political decision-makers in the position of having to make the wrong but understandable choices, obscuring the longer-term future in favor of short-term considerations.

Considerations about our soils and their health have taken second place, even though many of us still claim and repeat that soil health is the only guarantee of humanity's future on the planet, and the prerequisite for combating climate change, biodiversity erosion, desertification, and food insecurity.

The Initiative has placed strong emphasis on the regional dimension, with no fewer than three regional or sub-regional conferences in 2023: West Africa, Northern Europe, and Asia-Pacific. On each occasion, fruitful partnerships have been forged and appropriate funding found. It is important to emphasize here the extent to which this close cooperation and collaboration between ministries, international and regional organizations, NGOs, scientific institutions, producer organizations and businesses has enabled these meetings to be organized, all of which have resulted in elements of roadmaps to be implemented at regional level. It is through concrete actions of this kind that the Initiative will have an impact on the ground in favor of soils, soil carbon sequestration and soil health.

The COP 28 will be an opportunity that we must not miss to put soil health at the top of the international agenda of the Rio Conventions. The Executive Secretariat hopes that many representatives of the Initiative's partners, members and friends will be able to take part in the "4 per 1000" day, as well as in the many side-events organized by the Initiative or in which the Initiative will be taking part.

This year, the World Soil Day will be during the COP 28, we are thus calling for a massive commitment from everyone in organizing of many parallel events around soil health, carbon sequestration in soils and agroecology.

A tentative program of our Initiative Day will be online soon. Forum and Consortium meetings will take place on December 6 at the Dusit Thani Hotel (insert link to information page). This year, we hope to organize the High Level Segment during the World Soil Day on December 5 inside the COP28 Expo City Dubai venue.

Let's continue the work of our network, our community, indeed our family, in favor of our common good: soil and soil health! Videos and presentations related to this event so important in the life of the Initiative are now online and we hope to see you in December for the 7th Initiative Day in Dubai

Yours sincerely

Paul Luu

Executive Secretary of the 4 per 1000 Initiative

_{If you have any questions or are in need of assistance you can either leave a comment or you can contact us directly via networking@4p1000.org.}