Due to the situation generated by COVID-19 worlwide, and after careful consideration of the Organizing Committee, the conference is cancelled and postponed to a date and place not yet defined 

The 4per1000 Initiative - Soil for Food Security and Climate, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), together with other local partners, are pleased to invite you to participate in the 4p1000 Latin America and the Caribbean Symposium in Goiânia, Brazil, to be held May-June 2022.

Agriculture and livestock are important providers of the GDP of most countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). In the past 60 years, the sector experienced unprecedented technological development through the tropicalisation of agriculture. Nevertheless, local food insecurities still exist and the region is still facing problems to adopt suitable technologies. However, there are success stories and good examples all over the continent. Today, the region encompasses a wide range of production types and economic and social arrangements with different realities and problems. Outreach to the diverse communities and overcoming difficulties is a major challenge. Encouraging regional dialogue, exchange of experiences and promoting collaboration in converging issues is an important step forward the efficient management of regional and global challenges. The 4 per 1000 Initiative is offering a platform for such discussions and hopes to be catalyst of collaborations and development projects that promote sustainable agricultural development, preferably, through soil carbon sequestration, which is a win-win strategy for climate change mitigation, adaptation and sustainability of food systems.

One of the objectives of the conference is to advocate the concept and importance of environmentally and economically sustainable agricultural production for continued sustainable socio-economic development and enhanced regional and global food security. Emphasis will be placed on soil organic carbon, a vital component of soil, one of the basic non-renewable natural resources for agricultural production.

Soil organic carbon content reflects soil fertility and productivity because soils rich in organic carbon generally contain higher amount of nutrients and water available for plants. Organic carbon is also an essential soil component to maintaining ecological soil functions that are important for soil health and the resilience and adaptation capacity of natural and agricultural systems.  As soils are the largest active terrestrial carbon reservoire, maintaining or increasing their organic carbon content through adequate management can also substantially contribute to reduce the emission of agricultural greenhouse gases and consequently contribute to the mitigation of the effects of climate change on agricultural systems. Thus, soil organic carbon is esssential and central part of sustainable food, energy and fiber production.

Important efforts are being made by the United Nations through UNFCCC’s Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture, Sustainable Development Goal 15, the Land Degradation Neutrality framework and the Global Soil Partnership to draw the attention of policy makers to the importance of soil carbon for land productivity and food security. The 4per1000 Initiative was envisioned to bring together stakeholders at different levels and in a complementary manner to help the transition to productive and resilient agriculture, based on sustainable land management and generating jobs and income.

The second objective is to communicate and advocate on the 4 per 1000 initiative in the Latin America and the Carribean regions, in order to:

• introduce synergies with other programs and stakeholders
• show the potential of the LAC region to be part of a global solution to answer challenges related to agriculture
• share experiences and lessons learnt among LAC countries on the relationship between soil and climate and the benefits of soil health for food security, climate change and mitigation and adaptation
• advocate policies in favor of practices that restore or increase soil organic carbon stocks with the goal of environmentally sustainable an climate resilient economies and communities.

Stakeholders representing the diversity of agricultural production systems and concepts in LAC region - small to large industrial scale production farms, farmers and farmers'organizations, policy makers, researchers, related industries, multi and bilateral funders...are welcome.

Dr. Beata Madari - Embrapa - Presidente de la conferencia

Dr. Paul Luu - 4p1000 Executive Secretary