Soil CRC in China

The Soil CRC was on the international stage last month as our CEO, Dr Michael Crawford, was invited to present in the ‘High Level Dialogue’ section of the Global Forum on Soil Health, held in Yangling, China. 

Dr Crawford joined a small Australian delegation who attended at the invitation of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Other speakers included delegates from Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, South Africa and Myanmar and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Murray Watt, who spoke by video. 

Dr Crawford gave an overview of soil health in Australia and what we are doing to manage and improve it, highlighting the role of the National Soil Strategy and the contribution of the Soil CRC.  

He shared his key takeaways from the forum, noting that there is a common understanding of the role that soil health plays in supporting food security and environmental sustainability in a changing climate. 

“China and Australia share many common issues with regards to soil degradation and at the highest level, there is a recognition and an objective that the soil resource needs to be better managed than it has been in the past,” he said. 

“It is also evident that China holds Australia in high regard with respect to soil science and there was much interest in the Australian CRC model. 

“We have much to gain by increasing dialogue and exchange on soil health and other related issues in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond,” Dr Crawford concluded.