The completion of this comprehensive harmonized soil information database will improve estimation of current and future land potential productivity, help identify land and water limitations, and enhance assessing risks of land degradation, particularly soil erosion. The HWSD contributes sound scientific knowledge for planning sustainable expansion of agricultural production and for guiding policies to address emerging land competition issues concerning food production, bio-energy demand and threats to biodiversity. This is of critical importance for rational natural resource management and in making progress towards achieving Millennium Development goals of eradicating hunger and poverty and addressing the food security and sustainable agricultural development, especially with regard to the threats of global climate change and the needs for adaptation and mitigation. This digitized and online accessible soil information system will allow policy makers, planners and experts to overcome some of the shortfalls of data availability to address the old challenges of food production and food security and plan for new challenges of climate change and accelerated natural resources degradation.
Authors and Publishers
FAO, IIASA, ISRIC, ISSCAS, JRC
Land and Water Division
Deputy Directory-General Natural Resources
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is also a source of knowledge and information.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is also a source of knowledge and information.
Data provider
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is also a source of knowledge and information.