0162 - Soil Security within the 4 per 1000 Soil Carbon Framework (Soil Carbon Science-Webinar)

While much of the current discussion focuses on Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) levels and carbon sequestration targets, the Soil Security framework expands this perspective by recognising that soil functions, services and threats depend on more than carbon alone. Soil Security integrates five interlinked dimensions -- Capacity, Condition, Capital, Connectivity, and Codification — enabling a more holistic approach to managing soils for climate, food, biodiversity, and community wellbeing.

This webinar will highlight how Soil Security aligns with the “4 per 1000” Initiative, particularly in the context of the recently passed IUCN Motion 007, which calls for the development of global and national legal frameworks to protect, restore, and sustainably manage soil ecosystems across all sectors.

Key Themes:

• Why SOC alone is not sufficient to ensure resilient and functioning soils
• How Soil Capability and Condition shape soil functions and carbon permanence
• The role of Connectivity (knowledge networks, extension, partnerships) in scaling practice change IUCN Motion 007: embedding Soil Security into national strategies and policy frameworks
• Strengthening alignment between science, practice, and climate commitments under "4 per 1000"

Beverley Henry is a plant physiologist with over 30 years’ experience in academic, government and industry roles related to agricultural productivity and environmental management. She has a PhD from University of Queensland, Australia and is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor at Queensland University of Technology, a member of the Australian Government’s Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee, and an independent consultant.

Dr. Wartini Ng is a Research Fellow whose work advances soil security, with a focus on evaluating soil capacity and condition to safeguard soil into the future. Her research integrates advanced data analytics, proximal sensing, and machine learning techniques to improve the prediction of soil properties using large spectral databases. She now applies these approaches with digital soil mapping, strengthening the assessment of soil capacity and condition as a foundation for long-term soil security.

Dr. Sandra Evangelista holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and a PhD in Soil Science, both from the University of Sydney. Her research focus is on developing quantitative frameworks to quantify soil security. She also collaborates closely with researchers in India on the development of an AI-based monitoring platform for soil carbon sequestration.