Editorial
Wheat. Image - Tom Fraser
In this 20th issue of Soil Horizons we highlight our latest advances in the collection, use and sharing of nationally important soil and land resource data.
This is very timely because this month the FAO launches the Towards a Global Soil Partnership (GSP) for Food Security and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (background paper).
In this press release the FAO acknowledges the critical role of the soil resource in assuring global food security, and increased public awareness that soils play a fundamental role in climate change adaptation and mitigation. The FAO is calling for harmonisation of standards in soil research, strengthening of soil data and information, and a promotion both of targeted soil research and development and of sustainable management of soil resources and soil protection. They also encourage investment and technical cooperation to meet these goals.
We think the articles in this issue address these FAO goals – they provide a science research update and remind the reader that although we are making great progress there is still much work to be done. Alison Collins sets the scene with her article “Land Resource Information: A strategic roadmap for the future”.
Carolyn Hedley, Roger Parfitt & Anne Austin