Does supporting national soil institutes in Africa and elsewhere with setting up their soil information systems sound like an exciting task? Do you want to contribute to the development of international standards for soil data exchange and support provisioning of global soil data through modern web-based solutions? Then this could be the ideal job for you!

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.

ISRIC-World Soil Information is pleased to participate in the Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit, which will be held from 7 to 9 May in Nairobi, Kenya, and organised by the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Environment (DARBE) of the African Union in collaboration with AUDA-NEPAD, RECs, and partners.

Since its last release in 2020, SoilGrids, ISRIC-World Soil Information's flagship system for global digital soil mapping, has received an average of 15,000 data requests per month. In the same year, in line with ISRIC's mission to make its products easily and widely accessible, selected SoilGrids layers were uploaded to Google Earth Engine, further expanding access for data users.

Climate change significantly impacts the quality and resilience of land, leading to food and nutrition insecurity for Kenya's growing population. Enhancing access to land, soil, and crop information can effectively support improved soil fertility management and soil and water conservation, mitigating the impacts of climate change while ensuring sustainable agricultural practices.

The European Union Soil Strategy for 2030 has established a framework and concrete measures to protect and restore soils, ensuring they are used sustainably. It has set a goal to achieve healthy soils by 2050, with concrete actions by 2030. An EU Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience to anchor these goals in regulations is in negotiation.

In early February 2024, "pedometricians" from five continents gathered in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA, to attend the 2024 Pedometrics Conference hosted by New Mexico State University. The conference aimed to discuss the latest scientific developments and learn about the fascinating soils and landscapes of southern New Mexico.

A new open access paper titled "Effect of measurement error in wet chemistry soil data on the calibration and model performance of pedotransfer functions", with ISRIC-World Soil Information colleague Cynthia van Leeuwen as main author, was recently published in Geoderma.

The Africa Soil Information Community of Practice (CoP) welcomes its new ambassadors, who will spearhead the community's initiatives and drive collaborative growth among its members. The CoP is a hub for soil professionals, enthusiasts, and experts to come together, exchange knowledge, and foster innovation in their respective fields.