I am looking forward with excitement and some trepidation to becoming BSSS President this year. Bruce will leave some large boots (or wellies) to fill. I hope to make an impact for the Society and it’s members, and to champion the science of soil for all, making the society more inclusive and outward facing, with sound science at the foundation of all our activities.
Over the next two years, my major ambition is for the Society to be the trusted organisation that local, national and international policymakers can consult for the key evidence needed to support decision making. This will include embedding policy sessions into our Annual Conferences, to further develop the trusted networks we have already begun to form. Our 900 members are a wealth of knowledge: whether identifying the latest evidence from fundamental research or implementing best practice in consultancy. All these forms of knowledge and evidence are vital for decision making in policy.
Making the link between policymakers and a robust evidence base is increasingly important for the Society. Our Board, in developing its vision for the Society earlier this year, set an aim for the end of 2022 to have increased our visibility to governments, stakeholders and within the soil science community. In addition, we would be using our scientific knowledge to provide impartial evidence to local policymakers and recommending members to sit on expert panels and advisory groups.
To make strides towards that journey, we hosted the first ever policy day during the World Congress, bringing together scientists, international NGOs and policymakers. This session highlighted how fundamental knowledge of soil is crucial for policy development and how best practice is already being implemented in global case studies. A short overview of the debate, dialogue and recommendations from the session has been published by the Society, with a comprehensive document to follow in the new year. The recommendations from this session formed the basis of our asks at COP 27, which Bruce and Sarah attended on behalf of the Society, to highlight the crucial role soil plays in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This is the second year the Society had status as an NGO for the purposes of UN Climate Change Conferences, and we believe we are the only NGO in attendance with a primary focus on soil science.
This is a relatively new journey for the Society where our focus historically has been on sharing knowledge with our soil science peers. I hope to use my Presidency to continue to support the soil science community, ensure our members’ knowledge and expertise can facilitate and support policymaking at all levels, and further broaden the appeal of the Society to all those interested in the science of soil.
