Soils for Food Security and Climate
Increasing Soil Carbon Content
launched by France at COP21 Paris, December 1, 2015
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The Aim: increase soil organic matter content
by .4% per year through carbon sequestration
by implementing agriculture practices adapted to local environment, society & economy

“This international initiative can reconcile the aims
of food security and the combat against climate change,
and therefore engage every concerned country in COP21.”
—Stephane Le Foll, French Minister of Agriculture, Agrifood and Forestry

Over 40 nations & 400 organizations endorsed the 4 Per 1000 Initiative,
signing the Paris Declaration to:

• encourage actors to transition to productive agriculture, highly resilient, based on appropriate land and soil management, creating jobs and income, thus bearing sustainable development;
• invite partners to raise awareness or implement concrete actions on soil carbon storage and practices to achieve it: agro-ecology, agroforestry, conservation agriculture, land management.

“On the International Year of Soils, we fully support the 4 per 1000: Soils for Food Security and Climate Initiative. We confirm our will to work for the transition towards productive, highly resilient agriculture based on appropriate soil management essential to soil health, as emphasized by The World Soil Charter.  We emphasize the need to ensure food security, to adapt agriculture to climate change, and to ensure availability of food in quantity and quality, sustainable management of natural resources, economic and social development to safeguard our material heritage. We recognize the need to:
• strengthen public policies, tools and actions to foster sustainable, inclusive agriculture and rural development that implement practices to maintain or enhance carbon stock in agricultural soils
• sponsor research on soil carbon storage to assess success of farming methods to restore degraded land by carbon storage
• support participatory approaches to build innovative solutions and their adoption to benefit farmers and general populations, notably by training and education
• share projects, actions, experience, and results, in particular, research results, in a common platform, and organize regular meetings to discuss and take stock, supported by science & technical committee