1. WORKSHOP OF THE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR
CENTRAL AMERICA, MEXICO AND THE CARIBBEAN:
TOWARDS A REGIONAL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ON
SUSTAINABLE SOIL MANAGEMENT
Priorities towards sustainable soil management:
Challenges, Opportunities, Priorities, National Policies and Institutional
Mechanisms
Country: GRENADA
By: DANIEL LEWIS, CHIEF AGRICULTURAL OFFICER,
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, LANDS, FORESTRY, FISHERIES
& THE ENVIRONMENT
1-2 June 2015, La Habana, Cuba
2. Major challenges of soil resources
Biophysical
Type of challenges and area affected
Soil loss due to water erosion – landslides, land slippage
etc; poor drainage systems
Decline in natural soil fertility – insufficient use of organic
manures
Decline in soil life (especially earthworm) due to overuse
of agrochemicals and underuse of organic matter
High soil acidity.
low uptake of soil Phosphorus
Increase in soil pest infestation
3. Major challenges of soil resources
Policy and Institutions
Analysis of major issues and suggested solutions
inadequate institutional arrangements for soil management
– lack of a personnel replacement plan
lack of national policy on soil use and management
lack of overarching soil erosion prevention and control
legislation
inadequate interagency coordination on soil use and
management
Insufficient training on soil management
Lack of comprehensive soil analysis
Inadequate soil cover especially in food crop systems
4. Opportunities towards sustainable
soil management
Based on available resources
Improve the accuracy and currency of soil data
improve public awareness and knowledge the value of
soil and the importance of proper use and management
encourage natural soil fertility enrichment
Based on current and future actions
strengthen policy and legislative frameworks
create incentives that would encourage sustainable use
of soils
implement comprehensive soil conservation programs
5. Priorities for sustainable soil
management
Short and medium term activities
establish sites demonstrating sustainable soil management
conduct soil management training
develop and implement soil management public awareness programs
conduct a survey to establish baseline on gully erosion, landslides and land
slippage
create a soil management unit/agency
develop chemical soil fertilizer use and management guidelines
develop soil erosion control guidelines
Long-term activities
develop soil erosion control legislation
develop sustainable soil use and management policy
conduct a detailed national soil survey
establish a national soil analytical laboratory
establish a sustainable soil management fund
6. Concluding remarks
Summary of main challenges
• Lack of policies regarding soil Use & Management
• Absence of pertinent Legislation with respect to soil erosion
prevention and control
• Limited Human Resource in Soil Science
• Infrastructure (Absence of Soil Analytical Laboratory)
• Lack of general awareness on sustainable soil management
Suggestions to achieve sustainable soil management
• Enactment of appropriate legislations
• Development of Policies with respect to sustainable soil management
• Endorse and implement the Regional Soil Alliance programme of
Sustainable Soil Management.
13. Land slides a frequent occurrence following heavy rainfall
14. Beach erosion caused largely as result of sand mining is a
major threat to soil loss as the sea continues to move inland
15. Sand Mining is positively correlated with beach erosion which is
impacting on soil erosion also (the eastern part of the island and
Carriacou are particularly impacted negatively). Road infrastructure is
also affected significantly