ИСТИНА |
Войти в систему Регистрация |
|
Интеллектуальная Система Тематического Исследования НАукометрических данных |
||
Position Paper of the Russian G8 Presidency “Healthy Soil for Future Generations” Preamble Given the current growth rate of the global population, which will amount to more than 9 billion people by 2050, considerable increase in food production will be required. Taking into account that 97% of all food products are produced worldwide in agricultural areas representing 9% of earth’s surface, the potential of arable areas will be significantly reduced by 2050 if the existing farming practices remain unchanged. Due to desertification and related soil degradation, 12 million hectares of land turn into manmade deserts annually. Territory of this size could produce 20 million tons of cereals a year (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), 2011). If this tendency is not averted, two thirds of world’s arable areas will become unproductive. The Goal of the Russian G8 Presidency Recognizing the importance of the dialogue and resolute decisions aimed at ensuring global food security, we deem it important to focus international community’s attention on the long-term tasks, in particular on preserving and sustainable usage of soil resources. Quite often soil is a missing link in our policies and the structure of sustainable development. Thus, we would like to propose to the G8 to develop common approaches and recommendations on sustainable land use and agronomic practices, taking into account agricultural and climate conditions and soil potential. We would also like to focus the attention of international community on the fact that healthy soils and sustainable land use are prerequisites for human welfare and economic prosperity, thereby playing an integral role for sustainable development. Specific Initiatives and Possible Deliverables We are planning to put forward the following initiatives under the Russian G8 Presidency: 1. To call on the G8 countries to reach zero net land degradation by 2020. We would also like to call on the New Alliance on food safety and nutrition for Africa to follow us by 2030; 2. To provide political support to FAO to develop voluntary guiding principles for managing soil resources; 3. To cooperate with the Global Soil Partnership in establishing the system of global monitoring, which will impartially assess the condition of soils; 4. To support the activities facilitating technical assistance for mitigating soil degradation in developing countries within existing mechanisms including knowledge sharing; On the basis of the existing institutions to establish the Global Inventory of Soil Conservation Technologies, as well as the Global Reference Soil Collection and the International Red Book of Soils.