Soil Organic Carbon Community of Practice

Healthy and fertile soils are crucial for agricultural productivity, which is the backbone of Africa’s economy.The majority of the world’s soil resources are either in a fair or deplorable condition, with African soils being the most severely degraded. Healthy soils may also be the climate solution beneath our feet. Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) refers to the soil organic content of soils. SOC plays an important role in soil fertility, water retention and the ability of soils to absorb Greenhouse Gas (GHG). However, land-use change and land degradation within Africa is severely impacting the organic content of soils, leading to less productive soils and lands and the limited ability of soils to absorb and retain GHG.

Aim

In order to harness the potential for SOC to promote development and support climate action, the CoP aims to raise ambition in Nationally Deter-mined Contributions (NDCs) as well as their Long-term Climate Mitigation Strategies (LTS).The SOC-CoP aims to provide a platform for key stakeholders (organisations, teams or individuals) working in the SOC space to collaborate and engage effectively and in new ways. The CoP will also serve as an open, inclusive, and safe space to jointly explore and develop national mitigation and adaptation targets on SOC that will raise ambition while creating synergies.

Objectives

By sharing lessons on Best Practice and actively creating new knowledge, the CoP on SOC aims to advance on the ground action. Through the active engagement of African experts, peer-to-peer learning aims to build the capacity of decision makers to integrate adaptation and mitigation goals related to SOC into LTSs, NDCs and NAPs. 

Specific Objectives are:

  • Building a membership-based network of experts and practitioners engaged in SOC
  • Enabling peer-to-peer learning and knowledge sharing (including tools, skills, practices) among science, practice and decision-makers on SOC
  • Capacity building of relevant stakeholders to be able to design, develop and implement SOC specific policy and technical strategies or plans
  • Provide technical and policy support to decision-makers to strengthen SOC ambitions and reporting within NDCs, LTS and LEDS;
  • Create feedback loops between practice and implementation and policy to spread awareness of practical action on the ground and approach to evaluate, report and support implementation from the national level. 

Key Priorities/Activities

  1. Supporting climate action on the ground to promote climate smart soil practices and build agriculture resilience for farmers
  2. Engage at policy level to increase awareness of SOC and support development of policies and plans to protect and conserve SOC
  3. Reimagine extension services as key brokers between farmers and policymakers and empowering extension officers to champion soil protection and conservation
  4. Facilitate peer-to-peer learning and knowledge exchange opportunities to share best practice and increase awareness for SOC
  5. Support fundraising and creating relevant partnerships

For more information contact: info@africanclimateactionpartnership.org

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