A new open access paper titled “Providing quality-assessed and standardised soil data to support global mapping and modelling (WoSIS snapshot 2023)”, with ISRIC senior soil science expert Niels Batjes as lead author, was recently published in Earth System Science Data.

A new open access paper titled, "Towards a modular, multi-ecosystem Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) framework for soil organic carbon stock change assessment", with ISRIC senior soil science expert Niels Batjes as main author, was recently published in Carbon Management.

HoliSoils hosted a training on soil sampling and classification in Eberswalde aimed at soil sampling to enhance the harmonised monitoring of forest soils across Europe. The event focused on the practical application of a soil sampling design and soil classification according to the WRB, with a focus on carbon stock calculation for greenhouse gas reporting.

CABI and ISRIC recently launched an innovative new online platform which showcases a framework for sustainable national soil information systems (SISs). Created by CABI and ISRIC, the framework is a central part of the Soil Information Systems Review, a project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The 2024 World Soil of the Year is the typical Chernozem of the Bălţi steppe of the Republic of Moldova. It was presented as the first World Soil of the Year at the celebration of the International Uni Centennial Celebration of Soil Sciences (IUSS) on 19-21 May in Florence, Italy.

The project, supported by the IFDC Soils Consortium, aims to enhance and develop Ethiopia's National Soil Information System (NSIS) at all levels of soil information system workflows. The goal is to ensure sustainability, accessibility, and usability for a wide range of soil data and information users. The project is being implemented by the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and ISRIC.

Over the last decades, it has become increasingly evident that, due to mismanagement and the effects of global warming, we will lose most vital topsoil within the next 60 years. Under the theme of "Soil Horizons," three artists are responding to three different soil classifications present within the ISRIC World Soil Museum.

On 17-18 April 2024, CABI, ISRIC – World Soil Information, the  Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held a two-day workshop on soil information systems in Lusaka, Zambia. The event was part of a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-funded project designed to strengthen national soil information systems.

In anticipation of the Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit in Nairobi next week, we reflect on the importance and potential outcomes of this gathering.

The World Data Centre for Soils (WDC-Soils) is a regular member of the World Data System (WDS), an affiliated body of the International Science Council (ISC). It provides a focal point for soil-related collections and information services and ensures their long-term preservation and archiving. Access ISRIC WDC-Soils holdings.