Revised World Soil Charter

The first World Soil Charter (WSC) was conceived and formulated, negotiated and adopted by the FAO member countries in the 1981 FAO Conference. It was a major normative instrument agreed by member states, and that the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) was duty-bound to promote its principles. The challenges faced by the world have become more evident and severe in the intervening three decades. GSP Partners considered that the 13 principles listed in the charter are still valid, but needed to be updated and revised in light of new scientific knowledge gained over the past 30 years, especially with respect to new issues such as soil pollution and its consequences for the environment, climate change adaptation and mitigation and urban sprawl impacts on soil availability and functions. The Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) was tasked to produce a new version of this WSC making use of wide consultations within the international soil community in order to assist with the process. Coinciding with 2015 the International Year of Soils, member countries during the 39th FAO Conference unanimously endorsed the new World Soil Charter as a vehicle to promote and institutionalize sustainable soil management at all levels.