Committee: FAO Council

Topic: The importance of soils for food security

Working Paper 1A- The importance of soils for food security
Reminding all nations of the importance of soils as a finite and nonrenewable on a human time
scale resource and their vital role as a foundation for food, animal feed, fuel and natural fiber
production, the supply of clean water, nutrient cycling and a range of ecosystem functions,
Noting with satisfaction the past efforts of local governments and nongovernmental organizations
in the field of soil protection
Reaffirming its resolution 2/95 of 31 October 1995, in which it recognized the importance of
agricultural policies in order to achieve international food security and award of the importance
of the worlds leaders coming together to assess the state of global food security
Further recalling the resolution A/C.2/68/L.52 of 2 December 2013 in which it reminds the
sustainability of soils is key to addressing the pressure of a growing population and that
recognition, advocacy and support for promoting sustainable management of soils can contribute
to health soils and thus to a food secure world and to stable and sustainably used ecosystems

1. Welcomes the declaration of 2015 the International Year of soil by the UN General Assembly
and would like to raise awareness in each country in relation to the IYS by sending
administration from the FAO central office to FAO offices in regional level in order to ensure
media coverage of the various events organized;
2. Urges Member States to closely cooperate in order to create a project for the founding an
international research centre for soils studies and/or an international exchange programme
between agricultural specialist based in the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta,
Nigeria and intends to apply for funding of this project in front of the World Bank;
3. Draws the attention of local farmers on the importance of the diversification of crops as a
fundamental factor for soil conservation and encourages Member states to implement the rotary
programme by changing the crops periodically in one area and improving diversification;
creation of seed bank
4. Calls upon the improvement between the FAO Council and the Millennium Seed Bank in order
to ease the access of rural farmers to different crop cultures;

5. Encourages governments to implement friendly policies for farmers in order to prevent abusive
sale of lands to multinational companies expresses its hope that local governments will support
farmers by easing the access to new technologies, bio friendly fertilizers and agricultural
equipment;
6. Condemns multinational companies that own monocultural plantations and insists on the
implementation of a system of fees and bonuses in every country in order to encourage
companies to follow the principle of the diversification of cultures and encourages the farming of
crops that can be used as a food recourse;
7. Further recommends the close cooperation between small scale farmers in the same region
especially in the form of NGOs and expresses its belief that local governments would implement
legal framework granting tax reductions and state bonuses for agricultural NGOs; (Turkey does
not agree with tax reductions - tight taxation system); self help groups
8. Desiring to urge farmers and multinational companies to eliminate harmful effects of
chemicals pesticides to preserve soil degradation;
9. Further requests from the Member States to improve the national water management systems
by developing an international mechanism and would appreciate financial aid from international
partners such as the World Bank.
10. Approves the proposal made by the delegation of the Republic of Kenya to enhance the
regional cooperation between local FAO offices in countries which suffer from high rates of
desertification and the joint development of strategy to combat desertification.