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Iran joins FAO’s Global Soil Doctors Programme
Safdar Niazi, a senior official from the country’s Ministry of Agricultural Jihad, announced on Monday that Iran is now a part of this global initiative, IRNA wrote.
According to Niazi, Iran’s participation in the programme aligns with its plans to cooperate with the Global Soil Partnership. He explained that the Global Soil Doctors Programme is an awareness-raising initiative that falls under the umbrella of the Global Soil Partnership, which Iran has been actively engaging with since 2020.
“The Global Soil Doctors Programme is a farmer-to-farmer training initiative that aims to build the capacity of farmers on sustainable soil management,” Niazi emphasized.
He added that the programme currently has the participation of 21 countries worldwide.
The programme is designed to organize and disseminate technical knowledge and skills that farmers need through a scientific platform and the use of standard educational tools and methods. By engaging a network of soil specialists, national and regional facilitators, and a community of leading farmers, the initiative aims to promote the principles of sustainable soil management in a simple and accessible manner to farmers in the participating regions.
Iran’s initial participation in the programme will be through collaboration between the Deputy of Water and Soil, the Soil and Water Research Institute, and the GSP in select provinces. The country has already been an active contributor to other specialized sub-sections of the GSP, including the World Soil Day (WSD), the Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN), and the International Network for Salt-affected Soils (INSAS).
Iran also plans to pursue membership in other technical sub-sections, such as soil biodiversity, fertility and fertilizer analysis, organic matter, and soil pollution, among others.