Agricultural Data Interest Group (IGAD) Research Data Alliance 6th Plenary Meeting, 1st IGAD Session 23rd September 2015 INRA, Paris (France)

1. Group 5 members
Pandi Zdruli, Italy
Devika Madalli, India
Giovanni L’Abate, Italy
Daniel Martini, Germany
Nicolas Saby, France
Paola Tarocco, Italy
Peter Dahlhaus, Australia
Elizabeth Arnaud, France
Caterina Caracciolo, FAO

2. Who needs soil data?
Who are our clients?
Soil information is needed also for
validating subsidies to farmers
Private sector like insurance companies
(i.e. flood risk areas)
Research and education institutions
Environmental institutions
Even forensic experts
Renewable energy sector: solar or wind
Outcomes of Group 5: Soil

3. Precision agriculture
Fertilizer industry
Modeling experts (i.e. climate change)
The new Common Agriculture Policy (CAP)
in the EU place particular attention to green
economy and soil conservation
Public at large in response to increased
environmental awareness culture
Soil clients (con.t)

4. National and International
Global Soil Partnership Pillar 4:
Enhance the quantity and quality of soil data
and information: data collection (generation),
analysis, validation, reporting, monitoring and
integration with other disciplines
Institutional framework

5. • There is a great wealth of existing information on
soils at various levels
IUSS, FAO, USDA NRCS, ISRIC, IIASA, etc
• For missing data pedotransfer rules and functions
may be used
• Modelling is another trend in soil science
• Web soil information system is becoming the norm
in data distribution
• Private sector should distribute the data they have
on soils
What is available

6. •Strengthen partnerships
•Facilitate cooperation and processes for best utilization of Soil
Research Data at Global level
•Improve communication, dissemination and delivery
•Create standard metadata structures
•Promote global standards, harvest and or Harmonize data
collection
•Quality control quality assurance
•Improve data infrastructure operation and platforms
•Awareness, guidance and training
•Monitor success
•Land is a private property: how to overcome this handicap for
the societal use for soil data information and dissemination
Outcomes of Paris meeting

7. •Complexity of data collection and datasets
•Use common terminology
•Make use of extensive existing soil data and
share/distribute
•User friendly platforms
•Facilitate collaboration
•Interoperability between data holders and data users
•Web soil survey data distribution
•Endorse a professional culture for data sharing
Outcomes of Paris meeting (con.t)

8. WG5 suggest:
• There is interest to establish an “Interest Group on Soil” inside the
RDA
•Contact the Global Soil community through emails, listservs, blogs
etc to gather the interest in such an IG or WG
• Topics of discussion (data quality and interoperability and many
more to be suggested by the community)
• State of the art of data availability and gaps at various levels
• Expand and invite the soil science community to join the IG
•Links with existing soil communication entities (i.e. International
Panel on Soil of GSP)
•RDA should provide funding for attending meetings and/or
organizing workshops