Delegates from Canadian and Australian governments, and California Agriculture officials, toured IICA booth emphasizing soil vitality’s importance in shaping COP30 agenda

Delegates from Canada, Australia, and California’s Department of Food and Agriculture visited the booth of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) at COP30 to highlight the critical role of soil health in sustainable development. According to an IICA press release, their presence underscored the belief that only robust soils can underpin resilient food and agricultural systems, emphasizing that soil preservation must be a central component of national climate strategies.

This message was reinforced during a focused panel discussion held at the Home of Sustainable Agriculture of the Americas, which drew significant attention. IICA’s pavilion in Belém do Pará marked its fourth consecutive participation in the annual global environmental forum, following previous engagements at COPs in Sharm El Sheikh, Dubai, and Baku.

Key figures participating in the event included Sophie Beecher, Director General of Agriculture and Agri-food Canada; Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture; Nick Blong, Australia’s First Assistant Secretary for Sustainability and Climate at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; and Paul Luu, Executive Secretary of the ‘4 per 1000’ initiative, which aims to elevate the importance of soils and agriculture in climate discussions. The discussion was moderated by Martial Bernoux from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

IICA reported that Lloyd Day, Deputy Director General of IICA, welcomed attendees and provided insights into the Living Soils in the Americas program, launched in 2020 under the leadership of renowned scientist Rattan Lal of Ohio State University’s Lal Center for Carbon Management and Sequestration. The release stated that the initiative has already produced tangible results across various countries in the region.

The conversation centered on policies and private sector initiatives in Canada, California, and Australia—nations that are not only significant food producers and exporters but also actively pursuing soil health improvements.

Key Takeaways and Agreements

Beecher highlighted that soil health is foundational to all agricultural policy initiatives in Canada.

“The Department of Agriculture was the first department created within Canada’s government, which says a lot, and it has always worked to protect the soil”, she stated.

She further noted that Canada’s successful adoption of practices like crop rotation and cover cropping has led to improvements in soil health indicators and increased agricultural productivity.

“We believe the most important thing is to build a shared vision with regard to priorities, one that includes indigenous communities, civil society organizations, academia, and, of course, farmers’ associations”, she said.

She emphasized the importance of building a collective vision that includes indigenous communities, civil society, academia, and farmers’ groups. “And in Canada, we have a very strong consensus on the importance of soil health. We also have a number of politicians who have highlighted the issue. We are determined not to miss this opportunity”, Beecher asserted.

Karen Ross discussed California’s policies aimed at maintaining agricultural productivity and supporting rural communities, highlighting that these issues remain a political priority, saying, “We have ambitious goals and farming is always on the table in political discussions.”

She advocates for climate-smart practices and resource conservation, asserting that,”…the soil can be part of the solution to climate challenges, through carbon sequestration. But it’s also about changing the narrative and societal perceptions. If we invest in soil health, we ensure continued productivity and farmers’ survival.”

Blong introduced Australia’s 2021-2041 National Soil Strategy, a comprehensive 20-year plan that centers on three key objectives: prioritizing soil health, fostering innovation in soil management, and enhancing knowledge and capacity-building.

“We have a huge responsibility as far as land use is concerned because we are major food exporters and our country is very diverse, with tropical agriculture in the north and cold areas in the south”,  he explained.

Luu, an agronomist specializing in tropical agriculture, discussed the link between soil health and water management, illustrating how land degradation and persistent droughts have contributed to desertification in parts of France. He heads the ‘4 per 1000’ initiative, launched by France at COP21 in 2015, which aims to demonstrate that agriculture—particularly soil management—can be a vital tool in ensuring food security and addressing climate change.