%20v2_Page_1.jpg)
"Let there be no mistake about the significance of this wonderful project"
Kofi Annan
"Soil mapping is one of the pillars to the challenge of sustainable development"
Jeffrey Sachs
17th February 2009
There is a need for accurate, up-to-date and spatially referenced soil information. This need has been expressed by the modelling community, land users, and policy and decision makers. This need coincides with a enormous leap in technologies that allow for accurately collecting and predicting soil properties.
We have formed a consortium that aims to make a new digital soil map of the world using state-of-the-art and emerging technologies for soil mapping and predicting soil properties at fine resolution. This new global soil map will be supplemented by interpretation and functionality options that aim to assist better decisions in a range of global issues like food production and hunger eradication, climate change, and environmental degradation. This is an initiative of the Digital Soil Mapping Working Group of the International Union of Soil Sciences IUSS
In November 2008, an $18 million grant has been obtained from the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) to map most parts in Sub-Sahara Africa, and make all Sub-Saharan Africa data available. From this grant there are also funds for coordinating global efforts and for the establishment of a global consortium. Several institutions have assumed a leading role in this effort.
The project was officially launched 17th February 2009, New York, USA
presentations programme speaker biographies outcome