The international "4 per 1000" Initiative

Welcome to the website of the “4 per 1000” Initiative.

The international “4 per 1000” Initiative aims to demonstrate that agriculture, and in particular agricultural soils, can play a crucial role in food security and climate change.

Launched by France on 1 December 2015 during COP 21, it consists of federating all voluntary public and private stakeholders (national governments, local and regional governments & authorities, companies, professional organisations, NGOs, research establishments, etc.) within the framework of the Lima-Paris Action Plan (LPAP).

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United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

The international “4 per 1000” Initiative is an official supporting partner of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030.
We all depend on healthy ecosystems for food and energy security, water supply and biodiversity. Their continued degradation contributes to climate change and increases the risk of ecological collapse.

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The strategic plan of the "4 per 1000" Initiative

On 15 June 2020, the Consortium of Members approved the strategic plan of the international “4 per 1000” Initiative which will guide its action until 2050.

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GFFA 2022

Hosted by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture 2022 (GFFA) was held from January 24 to 28, 2022 in Germany. The “4 per 1000” Initiative participated in the expert panel “Soil is a diamond – The importance of soil and its restoration” on January 25 to raise awareness of the importance of soil health and its cross-cutting effects on ecosystem functioning and human well-being.

Mr Cem Özdemir, German Minister of Agriculture organized the 14th Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference, with the theme: “Sustainable Land Use: Food Security Starts with the Soil”. 68 countries signed the Final Communique and thus share the objectives and ambition of the “4 per 1000” Initiative.

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Definition of regenerative agriculture by the S.T.C. of the Initiative

The Scientific and Technical Committee of the international “4 per 1000” Initiative has proposed a contribution to the definition of regenerative agriculture.

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Understanding the “4 per 1000” Initiative in 3’30

Credit INRAE, IRD, CIRAD and CGIAR, Spring 2016

Why do we talk about “4 for 1000” ?

The International “4 per 1000” Initiative encourages stakeholders to engage in a transition towards a regenerative, productive, highly resilient agriculture, based on appropriate land and soil management, which creates jobs and income and thus leads to sustainable development.

It aims to show that agriculture can provide concrete solutions to the challenge posed by climate change while meeting the challenge of food security through the implementation of agricultural practices adapted to local conditions: agroecology, agroforestry, conservation agriculture, landscape management, etc.

The Initiative facilitates the development of concrete actions on the ground, benefiting to both farmers and herders, who are the first to be affected by land degradation, and more broadly to the entire world population.

The Executive Secretariat of the international “4 per 1000” Initiative is hosted by The Alliance Bioversity International-CIAT, an international organization based in Montpellier (France).

Discover the Initiative

What does “4 per 1000” mean? How do agricultural and forest soils play a major role in food security and climate? How is the Initiative organized? What is its Strategic Plan?

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Acting with the Initiative

We are all concerned ! Urgent action is needed to ensure our food security and limit the impact of climate change.

Find out how to act.

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Joining the Initiative

In concrete terms, how do you get involved?

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Members and Partners

Countries of origin of Members and Partners

Producer organisations

Mapping of Members and Partners of the “4 per 1000” Initiative

Consult the list of Members and Partners

Our partners and members of the "States and local Authorities" college take action!

Northern European countries have joined the International “4 per 1000” Initiative in force with Norway (Ministry of Agriculture and Food), Finland (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) and Denmark (Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries). Sweden (Ministry of Rural Affairs) has joined the Initiative as a Partner. Around the governmental actors, many other structures from Northern European countries have also joined the international Initiative “4 per 1000” with the firm intention to act as soon as possible.

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Our partners and members of the college "International organisations" take action!

The international “4 per 1000” Initiative benefits from a strong partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through the Land and Water Division, but also with the Global Soil Partnership.

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Our partners and members of the "Research and Education" college take action!

Embrapa is a Brazilian public agricultural research company. Embrapa strives to ensure that solutions that guarantee sustainable development are developed from the fields.

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Our partners and members of the "Producers organisations" college take action!

Conservation Agriculture is a farming system that promotes minimal soil disturbance (i.e. no tillage), maintenance of a permanent soil cover, and diversification of plant species (crops and cover plants). It enhances biodiversity and natural biological processes above and below the soil surface, which contribute to a more efficient use of water and nutrients, and allows for sustainable improvement of crop production [source FAO]. [source FAO].

In France, some Members of the “4 per 1000” Initiative advocate for Soil Conservation agriculture, whether they belong to the college of Producers Organisations or to the NGOs’ one

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Our partners and members of the "Civil society organisations" college take action!

Agroecology is a set of agricultural models whose principles and practices can create resilient systems, reducing the vulnerability of populations and enhancing local production. Many members of the international “4 per 1000” Initiative as Agrisud International, CARI or GRETare carrying out numerous actions in favor of agroecology.

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Our partners of the "Commercial for-profit organisations" college take action!

As a Partner of the international “4 per 1000” Initiative, the Kaoka company, “chocolate planter”, is working with its producer partners to find concrete solutions for restoring their soils and preserving landscapes and biodiversity.

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