Soil knows no borders. Neither do the challenges of protecting it, conserving it, and sustaining its productivity
From August 4 to 6, the Uruguayan-German Dialogue on Agriculture (DAUA) participated in the XXXIV Aapresid Congress "Our Soil, Our Voice", held in Rosario, Argentina. The event takes place annually and is a leading forum for the exchange of knowledge, technology, and innovation in the agricultural sector, bringing together producers, researchers, technical experts, and representatives from different fields.
Within this framework, DAUA facilitated the participation of Gustavo Garibotto, National Director of Natural Resources at Uruguay's Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP), in two sessions:
In the panel "Soil as a strategic asset: Public policies to conserve, restore, and generate positive impacts on nature", the MGAP representative shared the panel with Jamaica's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Floyd Green. The panel was opened by the Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim, and moderated by Hugo Chavarría (IICA).
During his presentation, Garibotto presented Uruguay's experience with the Responsible Soil Use and Management Plans (PUMRS), as well as the work carried out in cooperation with the Uruguayan-German Dialogue on Agriculture (DAUA). This includes the identification of a model for calculating soil carbon sequestration, exchanges with German and regional experts, and related initiatives.
The agenda also included DAUA's participation and a presentation of the Uruguayan experiences by Gustavo Garibotto in the workshop "Legislation on soil protection and stewardship in production", organized by CIAFBA, the College of Agronomists and Foresters of the Province of Buenos Aires. The session raised a central question: what technical, institutional, and regulatory instruments are needed to guarantee soil protection and sustainable use? There, the Uruguayan representative, together with representatives from five Argentine provinces, shared and discussed in working groups local experiences with public policies, the roles of the different actors, and the need to advance coordinated actions.
For DAUA, building these bridges is part of the value of cooperation: connecting experiences, bringing perspectives closer together, and fostering exchange among those, working to ensure that soil remains the foundation and a strategic asset for production and for future generations.
We thank Aapresid for creating these spaces for exchange and for the opportunity to continue strengthening regional dialogue around a resource as strategic as soil.