Background

Increased soil organic carbon (SOC) has been identified as one of the most cost-effective options for climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as combating desertification, land degradation and food insecurity by the IPCC’s special report on climate change and land.  Maintaining existing SOC stocks and enhancing SOC sequestration through sustainable soil management (SSM) practices constitute a feasible solution to offset a portion of global emissions while providing multiple benefits for the environment, people and the economy. While there is substantial scientific evidence that soils could play an important role in the current global challenges, there are still some uncertainty and risks for moving into action and scale up. FAO and its Global Soil Partnership (GSP) have established "RECSOIL: Recarbonization of global soils" as an initiative to move the SOC agenda into action using the best tools and technologies available while being aware of the associated uncertainties.