Rosa M. Poch - Universitat de Lleida, Spain.
Lucia H. C. dos Anjos - Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Soils Dep. Brazil.
Rafla Attia - Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Ressources Hydrauliques et de la Pêche, Tunisia.
Megan Balks - School of Science, University of Waikato, New Zealand.
Adalberto Benavides-Mendoza - Dept. of Horticulture, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Mexico.
Martha M. Bolaños-Benavides - Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation – AGROSAVIA, Colombia.
Costanza Calzolari - CNR – Institute of BioEconomy, Italy.
Lydia M. Chabala - University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
Peter C. de Ruiter - Biometris, Wageningen University and Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Samuel Francke-Campaña - Chilean Forestry Service, Secretary of Agriculture, Chile.
Fernando García Préchac - Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de la República, Uruguay.
Siosiua Halavatau - Ministry of Agriculture, Tonga.
Kutaiba M. Hassan - Ministry of Agriculture, Iraq.
Edmond Hien - Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Ke Jin - Institute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China.
Mohammad Khan - Dept. of Soil and Environmental Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan.
Maria Konyushkova - Lomonosov Moscow State University, Eurasian Center for Food Security, Moscow, Russia.
David A. Lobb - University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Matshwene E. Moshia - University of Fort Hare, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, Alice, South Africa.
Jun Murase - Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Japan.
Generose Nziguheba - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Nairobi, Kenya.
Ashok K. Patra - ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, India.
Gary Pierzynski - The Ohio State University, USA.
Natalia Rodríguez Eugenio - Global Soil Partnership, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Ronald Vargas Rojas - Global Soil Partnership, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Humanity depends on the existence of healthy soils, both for the production of food and for ensuring a healthy, biodiverse environment, among other functions. COVID-19 is threatening food availability in many places of the world due to the disruption of food chains, lack of workforce, closed borders and national lockdowns. As a consequence, more emphasis is being given to local food production, which may lead to more intensive cultivation of vulnerable areas and to soil degradation. In order to increase the resilience of populations facing this pandemic and future global crises, transitioning to a paradigm that relies more heavily on local food production on soils that are carefully tended and protected through sustainable management, is necessary. To reach this goal, the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soil (ITPS) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (ITPS) recommends five active strategies: improved access to land, sound land use planning, sustainable soil management, enhanced research, and investments in education and extension.
Rosa M. Poch - Universitat de Lleida, Spain.
Lucia H. C. dos Anjos - Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Soils Dep. Brazil.
Rafla Attia - Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Ressources Hydrauliques et de la Pêche, Tunisia.
Megan Balks - School of Science, University of Waikato, New Zealand.
Adalberto Benavides-Mendoza - Dept. of Horticulture, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Mexico.
Martha M. Bolaños-Benavides - Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation – AGROSAVIA, Colombia.
Costanza Calzolari - CNR – Institute of BioEconomy, Italy.
Lydia M. Chabala - University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
Peter C. de Ruiter - Biometris, Wageningen University and Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Samuel Francke-Campaña - Chilean Forestry Service, Secretary of Agriculture, Chile.
Fernando García Préchac - Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de la República, Uruguay.
Siosiua Halavatau - Ministry of Agriculture, Tonga.
Kutaiba M. Hassan - Ministry of Agriculture, Iraq.
Edmond Hien - Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Ke Jin - Institute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China.
Mohammad Khan - Dept. of Soil and Environmental Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan.
Maria Konyushkova - Lomonosov Moscow State University, Eurasian Center for Food Security, Moscow, Russia.
David A. Lobb - University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Matshwene E. Moshia - University of Fort Hare, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, Alice, South Africa.
Jun Murase - Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Japan.
Generose Nziguheba - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Nairobi, Kenya.
Ashok K. Patra - ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, India.
Gary Pierzynski - The Ohio State University, USA.
Natalia Rodríguez Eugenio - Global Soil Partnership, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Ronald Vargas Rojas - Global Soil Partnership, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Humanity depends on the existence of healthy soils, both for the production of food and for ensuring a healthy, biodiverse environment, among other functions. COVID-19 is threatening food availability in many places of the world due to the disruption of food chains, lack of workforce, closed borders and national lockdowns. As a consequence, more emphasis is being given to local food production, which may lead to more intensive cultivation of vulnerable areas and to soil degradation. In order to increase the resilience of populations facing this pandemic and future global crises, transitioning to a paradigm that relies more heavily on local food production on soils that are carefully tended and protected through sustainable management, is necessary. To reach this goal, the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soil (ITPS) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (ITPS) recommends five active strategies: improved access to land, sound land use planning, sustainable soil management, enhanced research, and investments in education and extension.