On 31 March, the African Union Soil Observatory (AUSO) hosted a webinar titled "Data standards for improved soil health monitoring in Africa: The role of AUSO".
AUSO is being developed under the leadership of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), with support from the EU Horizon programme and in collaboration with 23 consortium partners.
During the webinar, experts and stakeholders discussed the importance of harmonised soil data systems in improving soil health monitoring, supporting evidence-based policymaking, and advancing sustainable agricultural development across Africa.
The webinar also highlighted ongoing efforts and practical approaches to strengthening soil information systems.
ISRIC colleagues Ulan Turdukulov, data infrastructure expert, and Luis Calisto, senior geospatial architect, gave a presentation on digital soil information systems and data interoperability in Africa. They also discussed how to build harmonised soil data platforms in Africa and shared insights from the Soils4Africa project.
AUSO builds on the achievements of the Soils4Africa project, an EU Horizon 2020 initiative. The Africa Soil Information System, developed under Soils4Africa, will form the foundation for AUSO. AUSO will serve as a central hub for coordinating and integrating soil data at the continental level. By creating an African-owned and Africa-driven soil observatory, the initiative will strengthen the sharing of soil health data and resources across countries, close critical soil information gaps and support sustainable land management across the continent.