SUNDAY 5TH JULY, 2015 – UWI TODAY
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measurements and indicators for sustainable soil
management, with a national validation that takes
into account the differences of production systems and
ecosystems
Pillar 4 has been chosen for discussion first in this series
as the other pillars are dependent on this one - the quantity,
quality and availability of soil data and information.
In the era where agriculture was socially and
economically important, a comprehensive soil survey
was performed (1960-70s) across the English-speaking
Caribbean, with resultant soil maps (1:25,000) and
narratives. It took another 40 to 50 years to digitize those
maps which are still not readily available. This information
remains the only cohesive geographic soils information
available guiding decision-making, with fragmented studies
mostly archived on the shelves of our libraries.
Two concerns arise with respect to pillar 4: firstly,
the age of the data and its applicability in our changing
landscape. Land use has changed significantly over the past
six decades, and this would have influenced soil properties.
Additionally, the scope of the soil data is limited to mainly
agriculturally related features. There is a need to generate
(probably through a coordinated survey) new information
about our soils and continue to add subsequent data
(monitoring) to an information system supporting soil
management.
To most, soil is indistinct from land.
The latter represents
a legal attribute of financial value. The Soil Science Society
of America defines soil as
“the unconsolidated mineral or
organic material on the immediate surface of the earth that
serves as a natural medium for the growth of land plants”
and land as
“one of the major factors of production that is
supplied by nature and includes all natural resources in their
original state, such as mineral deposits, wildlife, timber, fish,
water, coal, and the fertility of the soil.”
Regionally, policies exist that protect, regulate and
strategize for the development of water, air, land, forest
and biodiversity resources but our institutional libraries are
devoid of any legal recognition of soil. Focus must therefore
be placed on soil as a critical resource to sustainable
development and a good place to start is to highlight the
functions and pressures placed on soils in our economy:-
• Food security: increasing production of food, fibre and
fodder
• Water storage and provision
• Bio-energy production
• Sustain biodiversity and ecosystem services
• Urban expansion: platform and material for
construction
• Climate change adaptation and mitigation
The United Nations designated 2015 the International
Year of Soils with a rationale coming from the Global Soil
Partnership (GSP) and the Intergovernmental Technical
Panel on Soils (ITPS) under the auspices of the Food and
Agricultural Organization (FAO): “The renewed recognition
of the central role of soil resources as a basis for food security
and their provision of key ecosystem services, including
climate change adaptation and mitigation, has triggered
numerous regional and international projects, initiatives
and actions. Despite these numerous emergent activities,
soil resources are still seen as a second-tier priority and
no international governance body exist that advocates for
and coordinates initiatives to ensure that knowledge and
recognition of soils are appropriately represented in global
change dialogues and decision making processes.”
The realities of being a Small Island Developing State
(SIDS) are reflected in the greater dependence on this
limited natural resource. A reduction in the size and quality
of this resource has more profound effects on our island
as the land area per capita is reduced. A greater effort is
needed on the part of the state and associated institutions
to recognize and give deserved attention to soil resources. A
five-pillar approach has been adopted by the GSP.These are:
• Pillar 1: Promote sustainable management of soil
resources
• Pillar 2: Encourage investment, technical cooperation,
policy, education awareness and extension in soils
• Pillar 3: Promote targeted soil research and
development focusing on identified gaps and priorities
• Pillar 4: Enhance the quantity and quality of soil data
and information
• Pillar 5: Support harmonization of methods,
Under the Pressure of Humanity
Soil is a ubiquitous resource that is forgotten from our personal and national agendas
B y G a i u s E u d o x i e
OUR CAMPUS
The anticipated functions of soil
Dr Gaius Eudoxie is a soil scientist at the Department of Food Production, UWI St. Augustine.
The second concern is not technical but administrative.
Access (public or otherwise) to soil information is critical
to foster sustainable management. Numerous stakeholders
utilize soils and are guided by soil data. Where such data
is not readily, available assumptions and best-fit scenarios
are used to model soil behaviour, ultimately leading to poor
decisions. Local projects coordinated by researchers at The
UWI seek to collect, analyse and present agricultural data
on an open access platform. This effort, if successful, should
address the data availability issue and lend a hand to building
a national soil resource inventory. However, sustainability
of such efforts demands inter-institutional cooperation and
coordination.
The Latin American and Caribbean Regional Soil
Partnership was launched in Cuba in 2013 with a similar
aim under pillar 4, albeit with a regional focus. The group is
scheduled to meet later this year to consolidate and apprise
members of regional and global initiatives. Manymore types
of regional to community level initiatives directed toward
saving our soils are needed for a turn-around in the value
of this resource. It is clear however, that the starting point
is an awareness of the threat to our soils so this discussion
will continue.
