Asia-Pacific “4 per 1000” Initiative Regional Conference on
SOIL HEALTH
With the support of
And in partnership with
Background
Globally, the average surface temperature has increased more than one degree Celsius since the late 1800s. The increase in temperature has resulted from the rising atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs: CO 2 , carbon dioxide; CH 4 , methane; N 2 O, nitrous oxide; and F, fluorinated gases) which have risen about 40 percent in the last 150 years, with half of that rise occurring only in the last three decades. Increasing GHGs in the atmosphere has wide-ranging effects, such as rising sea levels, increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires, more extreme weather, including changes in the amount, timing and distribution of rain, snow, and runoff; deadly heat waves; severe droughts; tropical storms which threaten food production. Therefore, controlling GHG emissions in the atmosphere is considered as one of the great environmental challenges of this century.
Soils constitute the largest C pool in soil organic matter (SOM), and this is one of the most important components of a field ecosystem. It serves as a soil conditioner, nutrient source, substrate for microbial activity, and a major determinant for sustaining or increasing agricultural productivity. The amount of C in soils is more than three times the C in the terrestrial vegetation and in the atmosphere.
Given the 133-Gt soil carbon deficit that has accrued over time, beginning about 20 years ago, proposals for repaying this carbon debt through enhanced farming practices began to emerge as a climate mitigation strategy. Because of their large C pool and accompanying C flux, soils offer the potential of mitigating GHG/CO 2 emissions and climate change via C sequestration in aboveground biomass or soils. Assuming an enhanced land carbon sink, following the aspirational (4 per 1000) target for both agricultural and non-agricultural soils, the soil carbon sequestration would reach 3.7 Gt C/yr and carbon storage in the aboveground biomass to the tune of 2.4 Gt C/yr through forestry, agroforestry, and restoration of secondary tropical forest, in addition to the current land carbon sink (3.0 Gt C/yr). Globally there have been strong interests in capturing C in agricultural soils, not only to mitigate the risk of global warming, but also to improve soil quality. Read more...
The event is organised by Heartfulness Institute in collaboration with the international "4 per 1000" Initiative.
The original conference will be organized with the following specific objectives:
- To deliberate on the potential, challenges, opportunities, and strategies in soil C sequestration and soil health in Asia and the Pacific.
- To propose an implementation pathway from policy to action through a regional “4 per 1000” roadmap, which would include for instance:
- An action plan for establishing a regional consortium to foster collaborative research around carbon sequestration in soils and maintaining healthy soils, and
- A regional database on good agricultural practices for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation to support transition and payment for ecosystem services.
Join your Asia-Pacific colleagues in Kanha Shanti Vanam, India to discuss soil carbon sequestration, gain new perspectives, and become inspired. This event connects real-world farming, policy, research, and business.
Let's build cooperation to boost soil carbon sequestration and speed up the transition toward productive and highly resilient agriculture. The meeting is targeted to researchers, farmers, policymakers, and business representatives from the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papouasie-New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, and all other countries of the Asia and Pacific.
The event is organised by Heartfulness Institute in collaboration with the international "4 per 1000" Initiative
Days
Hours
Minutes
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Important information
No mandatory fees
Participation is free of charge. Participants may cancel any time due to illness.
If possible, please consider donating a voluntary participation fee to the organisers. You'll receive more information about how to donate upon registration.
Posters
Upon registration, you'll receive more information regarding the opportunity to present a poster.
Questions? Contact us
If you have questions or concerns (wish to contribute through a presentation, wish to support the event, need for an invitation letter for visa purpose, etc…), please don't hesitate to reach out.
Email: apac.conference@4p1000.org
About the organisers
Heartfulness
Heartfulness Is an Educational & Volunteer-Based Non-Profit Organization, Focused on Meditation, Relaxation, Yoga & Spirituality. It Offers Free Meditation in hundred of Heartspots across the globe and through the Heartfulness App. Located on the outskirts of Hyderabad, Telangana, Kanha Shanti Vanam is the world headquarters of the Heartfulness Institute. The ashram is an ecological paradise, a place for spiritual retreat, where you can experience simple living in-tune with inner and outer nature. In 2019, Kanha was awarded 'The Pride of Telangana', for inner wellness, by Round Table India & Times of India. The center also received the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Platinum award in 2019 for following world class environment friendly practices becoming the first meditation center in the world to achieve the feat.
Visit the website >>
The international "4 per 1000" Initiative
Launched at UNFCCC CoP 21 in December 2015, the international "4 per 1000 Initiative: Soils for Food Security and Climate" aims to show that agriculture, and in particular agricultural soils, can provide concrete solutions to the challenge of climate change while at the same time meeting the challenge of food security by implementing agricultural practices adapted to local conditions: agroecology, including agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, conservation agriculture, and also landscape management...
The international "4 per 1000" Initiative promotes the natural sequestration of organic carbon in soils and brings the vision of healthy, carbon-rich soils to fight climate change and eradicate world hunger.
"4 per 1000" represents the proportion 4 ‰ or 0,4 %. An annual growth rate of 0.4% in soil carbon stocks ("4 per 1000") in the first 30 to 40 cm of soil, would significantly reduce the concentration of CO2 from human activities in the atmosphere.
Event Schedule
| 18:00 | Welcome cocktail, Arrival of participants |
|---|
Event Schedule
Day 1
18:00
Welcome cocktail, Arrival of participants
Day 2
08:30-09:00
Registration, Opening of the Posters exhibition, Networking
09:00-11:00
Inauguration and opening session (high level policy participation) under the High patronage and in presence of Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers welfare Shri Narendra Singh TOMAR
- Daaji - Heartfulness Institute
- Shri Narendra Singh TOMAR - Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers welfare
- Dr. Ibrahim MAYAKI - Vice-President “4 per 1000” Initiative
- Dr. Himanshu PATHAK - Director General ICAR
- French Ambassador in India
- Representative from Fiji Government
- Representative from CESAP
- Dr Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes - Director General, ICRISAT
- Local Representative - Alliance CIAT-Bioversity international
- Dr. R.S. Paroda - TAAS
- Representative - Samunnati
- Other representatives (FAO, UNCCD, Minister of Environment, etc.)
11:00-11:30
Signature of documents to join the “4 per 1000” Initiative and other MoU
11:30-12:00
Coffee break and group photo
12:00-12:45
- Importance of soils and soil health at all levels – Professor Rattan LAL (Ohio State University)
- Global level situation of soil health and most promising development – Representative of FAO- Regional Office or other international organization
- A successful example for landscape restoration at scale: the Green Kanha Project – Dr. Ramakantha (Kanha Shanti Vanam)
12:45-14:00
Lunch break
14:00-18:00
Parallel sessions (participants will be split in 2 rooms according to sub-region)
- Parallel session 1: Asia context (continental Asia and Monsoon Asia)
Political approaches to fostering soil health at national level and situation of the international “4 per 1000” Initiative in the region- Keynote – Speaker to be determined
- Presentations of national situations and solutions (max 5 min per presentation)
- Keynote – Speaker to be determined
- Farmers’ and Foresters’ Organizations insights (max 5 min per presentation)
- Parallel Session 2: Pacific context (Australia & New Zealand and Small Islands)
Political approaches to fostering soil health at national level and situation of the international “4 per 1000” Initiative in the region- Keynote – Speaker to be determined
- Presentations of national situations and solutions (max 5 min per presentation)
- Keynote – Speaker to be determined
- Farmers’ and Foresters’ Organizations insights (max 5 min per presentation)
15:45-16:15
Coffee break
18:00-18:10
Wrap-up of Day 1 in plenary, identifying elements for the regional roadmap
19:00-22:00
Reception dinner
Day 3
09:00-10:45
Science context and findings in the Asia-Pacific region
- Keynote on Monitoring, Reporting and Verification – Speaker to be determined
- Presentations related to the theme (max 5 min per presentation)
- Keynote on Understanding of functional mechanisms of soil leading to carbon sequestration – Speaker to be determined
- Presentations related to the theme (max 5 min per presentation)
- Keynote on scientific evaluation of practices such as biochars, crop residus uses, etc – Speaker to be determined
- Presentations related to the theme (max 5 min per presentation)
10:45-11:15
Coffee break
11:15-13:00
Civil society and the business sector as agents of change for Soil Health
- Keynote on mobilizing citizens, communities and local government – Speaker to be determined
- Presentations related to the theme (max 5 min per presentation)
- Carbon Farming as a business model – Speaker to be determined
- Presentations related to the theme (max 5 min per presentation)
- Keynote on business commitments and hands-on action – Speaker to be determined
- Presentations related to the theme (max 5 min per presentation)
13:00-14:00
Lunch break
14:00-14:15
Plenary for presentation of breakout sessions (according to the number of participants)
14:30-16:00
Breakout sessions on “priorities, needs and commitments” to leveraging the transition to restoring soil health with agroecology
- Transition support policies (regional and national contexts)
- Scientific guidance and technical support (decision-makers, NGOs, Producers organizations, companies)
- Mobilization of civil society stakeholders (NGOs and companies)
- Agroecology for producer and capacity building for practitioners
16:00-16:30
coffee break
16:30-17:30
plenary session with the presentation of the report from the breakout sessions followed by a discussion with participants.
17:30-18:00
Presentation on elements for the regional road map deducted from the previous sessions.
18:00-18:30
Conclusion in plenary and Closing remarks and speeches
Day 4
09:00-13:00
Field trips (optional):
- Hyderabad ICRISAT Research Station
- Kanha Shanti Vanam installations (vitro plant facilities, nursery, gardens, rainforest, etc.)
- Farms visit on projects in Hyderabad Region
13:00-14:00
Lunch and end of the Regional Conference
14:00
Departure of participants