Agriculture Reference
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tion of SOC with these services shows that
they are interconnected and that actions fo-
cusing on single services, without consider-
ing SOC, impact other services negatively.
This calls for a systems approach in order to
maximize the benefits on all relevant spatial
We highlight the wide-scale goals and
urgent actions towards maximizing the
that the critical priorities are centred on
stopping the current losses of SOC. This re-
quires the involvement of various players at
local, national and global levels. We pro-
pose that in order to quantify better the
benefits of SOC, there is a need for complete
analyses of the potential actions towards
each of the services, including economic,
political and environmental implications.
Such analyses aim at assessing both the im-
pacts of the actions on each individual service
and the co-benefits or adverse impacts on
other services. This is needed to maximize
SOC gains and to optimize essential services.
We recognize the key uncertainties in
managing SOC towards the essential services.
However, we conclude that these uncer-
tainties should not stand in the way of the
critical need to increase SOC. We propose
to take advantage of current scientific know-
ledge on SOC characteristics, its dynamics
and complexity, and managements that af-
fect it, to direct research efforts towards key
missing areas and to improve knowledge
and practices towards the long-term goals of
increasing SOC.
A new vision of soil carbon science that
enhances the understanding of the policy
and economics of soil services is needed ur-
gently. Such vision will help create a better
public understanding of SOC and its soci-
etal benefits, which is needed to develop
policies that protect soils around the world.
Therefore, we call for a global research and
education programme focused on the mul-
tiple benefits of SOC and with a strong
outreach component to share the findings
and communicate practical concerns with
different communities outside academia.
Finally, we recognize that the proposed
research and education programme will not
be possible without committed long-term
funding support.
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