Africa Soil Information CoP leaders visit ISRIC to strengthen collaboration and advance CoP programme

This week, from 3-5 December 2025, ISRIC welcomed several leaders from the Africa Soil Information Community of Practice (CoP) for a multi-day visit focused on strengthening collaboration, exchanging knowledge, and shaping the future of the CoP programme.

The CoP brings together soil information experts across Africa to share knowledge, enhance skills, and support the development of national Soil Information Systems (SIS). CoP leaders play an important role in keeping the community connected and active, facilitating opportunities for members to learn from one another and work together.

Leaders from Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and Egypt participated in the visit, which provided an opportunity to strengthen relationships among CoP members, ISRIC and their respective home institutions. Activities focused on networking, exploring collaboration opportunities, training and showcasing African initiatives, such as the African Union Soil Observatory (AUSO), in which many participants are actively involved. The group also visited the ISRIC World Soil Museum to learn about its educational work and unique soil collection.

The visit's programme included various technical and knowledge-sharing sessions led by ISRIC experts, covering topics such as data harmonisation, metadata cataloguing, digital soil mapping, data management, and the SIS Framework.

A reflection session allowed the group to review progress within the CoP, discuss challenges and successes, and evaluate ISRIC's long-term strategy for supporting the CoP.

The visit concluded with a shared commitment to deepen collaboration, strengthen national soil information efforts, and increase the visibility and impact of the CoP across Africa. ISRIC and the CoP leaders look forward to building on this momentum and working together toward a more connected, data-driven future for soil information across the continent.