The CIRCASA project launched in 2017 aims to develop synergies at European and the international levels concerning research and knowledge exchange in the field of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) sequestration.
Indeed, soils are an enormous reservoir of carbon, containing nearly twice as much carbon as the atmosphere. Preserving and enhancing SOC contribute to benefits, such as soil quality, agricultural productivity, biodiversity, and water protection and thus increased resilience against climate change.
Our project aims to strengthen and coordinate international research to improve our understanding and better target practices that preserve and enhance the soil carbon sequestration. Today, research on soil organic carbon sequestration is interdisciplinary, international and rapidly increasing. However, there are, still knowledge gaps. Targeting ambitious changes in agricultural practices requires better-structured international research cooperation to support public policies and stakeholders’ initiatives.
Our objectives:
♦ Strengthen the international research community on soil carbon sequestration in relation to climate change and food security
♦ Improve our understanding of agricultural soil carbon sequestration and its potential for climate change mitigation and adaptation and for increasing food production
♦ Co-design a strategic research agenda with stakeholders on soil carbon sequestration in agriculture
♦ Better structure the international research cooperation in this field.
The project will create significant outcomes for the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and of the Paris agreement (COP21, 4 per 1000 voluntary initiative) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
How does this platform help the project?
By bringing together the research community, governments, research agencies, international, national and regional institutions, and private stakeholders, CIRCASA takes stock of the current understanding of carbon sequestration in agricultural soils, identifies stakeholders' knowledge needs, and fosters the creation of new knowledge.
This Online Collaborative Platform (OCP) will structure and integrate existing knowledge in a comprehensive knowledge system on soil carbon in agriculture, delivering a scientific resource of global and local significance.
It will also enhance the dialogue with stakeholders, in addition to regional/national stakeholder hubs, to gathering your perspectives of SOC sequestration potential, role and management options, barriers and solutions to implementation as well as your knowledge demands.
This international cooperation allows us to co-design a Strategic Research Agenda in 2020/2025 based on scientific evidence and stakeholders' knowledge demands. Thus, this OCP is the core of our communication strategy, and you are the main players!