Healthy soils to combat climate change and end hunger
On the 21. of January 2021 the 4p1000 panel at the virtual GFFA took place. We would like to use this page to give a big thanks to our panelists and everybody who took part in organising the panel. We think it was a great success!
Also, we would like to provide you with information on the panel. You can find the recording as well as powerpoint presentations of the panelists and additional information here:
The panel of the "4 per 1000" Initiative took place with the title: Healthy soils to combat climate change and end hunger. It was moderated by Dr. Paul Luu the Executive Secretary of the "4 per 1000" Initiative. The German Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Julia Klöckner, send an opening video in which she stated the importance of healthy soils as well as the importance of the work the "4 per 1000" Initiative is doing. Followed by a speech from Wolfgang Zornbach, Head of Division for Sustainability, Climate protection and Climate impacts at the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture who compared Soil to a Diamond.
Moderator of the panel:
Dr. Paul Luu, Executive Secretary of the "4 per 1000" Initiative
Videos
The introductional video of the german minster Klöckner:
Video
You can find the recording of the whole panel here:
Our Panelists
We had four panelists representing different stakeholder groups who gave impulse speeches followed by a very lively discussion:
Claire Chenu
Research and Education
Member of the "4 per 1000" Scientific and Technical Committee and coordinating EJP SOIL
Victoria Prentis
Governments and Local Authorities
Under-Secretary of State for Farming, Fisheries and Food, UK
Key messages:
- Soil is a diamond we need to polish carefully for the generations to come
- Soil health is important for mitigation, adaptation and food security
- 4p1000, backed up by solid scientific findings, is one of the major instruments for the implementation of Paris Agreement
- In order to reverse the severe soil degaration globally, we need to improve our soil policy with the goal of paying farmers for taking care of soils
- The concept of twin regions, and in particular an implementation of it between Africa and Europe, raises major interest as an instrument to achieve climate justice and international solidarity through the large-scale transformation to soil regeneration, agroecology and sustainable land management practices
- Living labs as a research approach with NGOs as key partners can bring the research and the farmers community closer together enabling realistic development of local solutions to ensure soil health and carbon sequestration
- Soil has already been heavily degraded, a lot of damage has been done. Soil policies need to be improved with the goal of paying farmers for taking care of soils, indicators need to be specified, actions are clear
