The document summarizes the proceedings of the first meeting of the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Soil Partnership. It discusses the chairs and pillars of the partnership. Several countries expressed interest in various initiatives to promote sustainable soil management, including projects in Ecuador, Uruguay, the Dominican Republic, and more. The partnership aims to prioritize activities, encourage investment in soils, and harmonize methods across the region to better manage this important resource.

1. Carla Pascale
Latin America & Caribbean

2. First ordinary meeting of the Regional Soil Partnership from Latin
America and The Caribbean (ASLAC): May 2019 Quito, Ecuador.
Regional Soil Partnership LAC

3. Latin America and The Caribbean Soil Partnership
Chair: Carla Pascale
South America: Ana Maria Rivero
Mesoamérica: José Villareal
Caribe: Gaius Eudoxie
Vice Chairs:
Regional Soil Partnership LAC

4. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
Pilares Nombre Institucion Pais
Pilar 1 Juan Carlos Rey Sociedad Venezolana de la Ciencia del Suelo Venezuela
Pilar 1 Alterno Reinaldo Bismarck Mendoza Universidad Nacional Agraria (UNA) Nicaragua
Pilar 1 Caribe Joan Brown Morrison Agricultural Land Management Division Jamaica
Pilar 2 Laura Bertha Reyes Sánchez Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Mexico
Pilar 2 Alterno Laura Moreira Ministerio de Ganaderia, Agricultura y Pesca Uruguay
Pilar 2 Caribe Ana Iris Sanchez Ministry of Agriculture Belize
Pilar 3 Pablo Cornejo
Depto. Cs. Químicas y Recursos Naturales,
Universidad De La Frontera
Chile
Pilar 3 Alterno Deyanira Lobo Venezuela
Pilar 3 Caribe Gabrielle de Souza Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Trinidad y Tobago
Pilar 4 Guillermo Federico Olmedo
Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
(INTA)
Argentina
Pilar 4 Alterno Axel Schmidt Catholic Relief Services Nicaragua
Pilar 4 Caribe Allison Haynes
Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry,
Fisheries and the Environment
Grenada
Pilar 5 Floria Bertsch Departamento de Servicios Técnicos del INTA Costa Rica
Pilar 5 Alterno Jorge Sanchez IGAC Colombia
Pilar 5 Caribe Gaius Eudoxie
Scientific Correspondent and Caribbean GSP
Representative
Trinidad y Tobago
Pillar Name Institution Country
Pillar Name Institution Country

5. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
 2019:
ASLAC prioritized activities - Survey
http://www.fao.org/3/ca3471es/ca3471es.pdf

6. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
Survey 1: Use of SISLAC data and prioritized actions for decision-making
The use of soil data requires management and support at the institutional level, in
order to include them for national reports
 Only 32% indicated that the soil organic carbon map (SOCmap) was used to prepare the
report of the UNCCD convention (indicator 15.3.1). For monitoring the indicator 2.4.1,
52% of the countries have degradation data to report.
32%
21%
37%
11%
Has your country used the SOC map to prepare the
report of the UNCCD convention or to monitor the
SDG indicator 15.3.1?
Yes
No. The model proposed
by the IPCC has been
used
Doesent know
Other
53%
32%
11%
5%
SDG 2.4.1 “Agriculture sustainability” includes in one of
its sub indicators the soil degradation factor.
I already knew this information
and I have degradation data to
report
I already knew this information,
but I don't have data to report
I was not aware of this
information
Others

7. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
 32% of the countries consider that soil
degradation data should be used and 21%
consider that property data should be used .
 In Mesoamerica and South America, soil
data is considered important for decision-
making, databases or national maps.
42%
11%
0% 0%
Mesoamerica
Select an action that should be prioritized at the regional level to contribute to decision-making in the
countries
5%
21%
32%5%
37%
¿What data would be useful for decision-
making in planning agricultural and
environmental activities in your country?
Soil fertility
Soil properties
Soil degradation
Organic Carbon
Others
11%
16%5%
16%
South america
Databases available, for comparison
with other countries
Regional maps elaboration
Regional network on soils experts
Access to national soil mapping
platform

8. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
Survey 2: Implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management
(VGSSM)
Most of the countries consider important the implementation of the VGSSM, for
policies or financial tools design.
62%
10%
29%
0%
1. Can the VGSSM be useful for strengthening
public policies in your country?
Yes, for the legal
documents
Yes, for the
elaboration of technic
documents
Yes, for both
No
57%
14%
29%
0%
2. Can the VGSSM be useful for the finantial tool
design in your country?
Yes, for finantial support
programs
Yes, for the design of
payments for
environmental services
Yes, for both
No

9. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
 The indicators of SSM must be in
harmony with the strategy defined
by the UNCCD for Land
Degradation Neutrality.
 Create synergies between
countries is essential to
strenghten the technic
knowledge.57%
0%
29%
5%
10%
3. Can the SSM monitoring protocol be the basis for a
LDN strategy in your country?
Yes, for the identification of SSM
practices
Yes, to orientate the academic
research
Yes, for the previous answers
Yes, measure the LDN indicators
No, because the LDN indicators are
specific of the convention
16%
16%
20%14%
34%
4. Select 3 priority actions to create synergies between the Latin American and the Caribean
countries in the SSM implementation.
Identify commun agroecosystems
Share the knowledge of the SSM practics impact
Create an international organisation for the SSM
Define indicators to follow the results
Strengthen the technic knowledge of the institutions and
agricultors

10. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
Pillar 1: Promote sustainable management of soil
resources for soil protection, conservation and sustainable
productivity
http://www.fao.org/3/i6
874es/I6874ES.pdf
 Survey implemented in Quito
 GEF PROJECT “SOILCARE” : the small insular development
states of the Caribean (SIDS) are formulating a soil muticountry
iniciative for the integrated restauration of the landscape and
the food sustainable system, with the support of the GSP
 Regional Project Proposal: Requested by Uruguay, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Colombia, and Nicaragua. Also in process:
Argentina, Costa Rica, Honduras, Cuba and Venezuela

11. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
 Educational activities and iniciatives of the
Latinamerican Soil Science Soiciety; world soil day
campaigns.
 Regional master’s degree in land managment with
Universities of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, y
Nicaragua.
 Exchanges of students have started for laboratory
technics between Argentina y Colombia.
 Countries interested in the soil doctors program, such
as: Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, Nicaragua y
Costa Rica; have been registered.
 For SOILEX: a actualization of the legal framework in
LAC is in progress.
Pillar 2: Encourage investment, technical cooperation,
policy, education, awareness and extension in soil

12. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
Pillar 3:Promote targeted soil research and development
focusing on identified gaps, priorities and synergies with
related productive, environmental and social development
actions
For decision: regional responsable of pillar 3
 Resignation of Pablo Cornejo
 Altern responsable: Deyanira Lobo

13. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
 SISLAC: More tan 48.000 data registered
 Training workshops for global maps training: salinity
(GSS) carbon sequestration potential (GSOCseq)
 3 scientific publications and 4 more are in progress.
 A video has been published about the capacity
building on soil information
https://youtu.be/OaB5G6unj-8
Pillar 4: Soil information and data
 Regional chair : Mario Guevara
 Alternate: Axel Schmidt

14. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
Pillar 5:Harmonization of methods, measurements and
indicator for the sustainable management and protection
of soil resources
• Organization of the third meeting of LATSOLAN online August/September
• Latin America had a key role for GLOSOLAN, with the simples provided by México
in 2019 and by Brazil in 2020
• Harmonization of the Standard Operating Procedures, SOP
• Harmonization of the analysis methods for the total nitrogen (Kjedhal y Dumas)
and available nitrogen (Mehlich I) is coordinated by two experts of LATSOLAN.

15. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
Creation of National Soil Partnerships
Cuba, 2019
Colombia, 2019
Mexico, 2015
Costa Rica, 2019
Brasil, 2018

16. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
First conclusion:
The partners data must be updated.
The partners have to send a email to
GSP-secretariat@fao.org
ASLAC Partners
País Número de socios
Argentina 7
Bolivia 2
Brazil 8
Chile 5
Colombia 9
Costa Rica 2
Cuba 3
Ecuador 13
El Salvador 2
Guatemala 3
Honduras 1
Mexico 13
Nicaragua 2
Panamá 2
Paraguay 3
Peru 4
República Dominicana 3
Uruguay 4
Venezuela 2
SLCS 1
Total 89
Categoría Número de socios
ONG 5
ONG/Asociación/Sociedad civil 30
Sector privado/Empresas 5
Institutos de investigación/Academia 49
Total 89

17. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
Analysis SOWT:
Strengths: number and variety
Weaknesses: more activities dissemination is
needed, the actualization of the data depends on
each one
Opportunities: create links, interactions with the
GSP, communication with the focal points at
government level
Risks: misuse of the data, loss of partners,
disinterest of the partners
Integration of the partners in the ASLAC activities
http://www.fao.org/3/a-az896e.pdf
Become a partner
• Formulary to join
the AMS

18. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
Interactions with other Regional Partnerships
How do we identify ourselves as a Region?
Mountain soil? Tropical soil? Acid soils? Soil Women network? Ethnopedology network?
Sustainable management of fertilizers network? Family farming soils?
Asia Africa Eurasia Europa NENA
Norte
America
Pacifico
Latino
America
Centro de
excelencia en
Suelos,
CESRA.
Doctores de
los suelos
Proyecto
Afrisoils
Agricultura
basada en
nutricion
Grupo de
suelos Negros
Grupo de
suelos salinos
Mapa de
proyectos de
MSS
Manejo de
suelos salinos
Gestión de
riego y agua
verde

19. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
For approval and decision. Documents sent by the ASLAC:
- Regional report for the presentation at the Plenary Assembly of the GSP
- POA y PIR of Pillar 1
- POA of Pillar 2
- POA of Pillar 3
- POA of Pillar 4
- POA of Pillar 5
- Matrix for the monitoring of the execution of the PIR in the countries
- Draft of the regional project for implementation of the VGSSM
- Confirmation of the Steering Committee
- Nomination of the Regional Manager of the Pillar 3 and alternate
- Confirmation of the Regional Manager of the Pillar 4 and alternate

20. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
Survey to the focal points and partners of de Soil
Partnership in Latin America and the Caribbean, ASLAC
Objective: Define the work of ASLAC in the next two years and promote the
commitment of member countries and strategic partners to achieve results.
Topics to work on:
- Prioritized activities
- Interest topics in the region
- Mobilization of resources
- Prioritization of recommendations of the GSP evaluation
- For the partners: how to integrate to the ASLAC activities (interests, contributions)

21. Regional Soil Partnership LAC
It is the privileged space to prioritize in the FAO activities the
topics of soil, as a region.
Support from 10 countries: Uruguay, Ecuador, Dominican
Republic, Colombia, Nicaragua, Argentina, Venezuela,
Honduras, Cuba, Costa Rica…

22. Thank you
cpasca@magyp.gob.ar
alianzasueloslac@gmail.com