The International "4 per 1000" Initiative
Budget
€350,000
EP Access
0
accredited persons
Staff
3
2.75 FTE
EU Grants
None
Mission & Goals
Launched at COP 21 in December 2015, the international "4 per 1000 Initiative: Soils for Food Security and Climate" 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, regenerative agriculture, conservation agriculture, landscape management, etc. It promotes natural organic carbon sequestration in soils, and support for the most advanced scientific research in this field, at the global level. It 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. On 15 June 2020, the Consortium of Members approved the 2050 Strategic Plan which will guide its action until 2050. To know more: www.4p1000.org
EU Legislative Interests
The vision and ambition of the Initiative is strongly linked to several EU and international strategies: Zero Polution Action Plan, Circular Economy Action Plan, Chemicals Strategy, Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, Fit for 55 Package, Climate Adaptation Strategy, Farm to Fork Strategy, Rio Conventions and SDGs, Green, Financing Taxonomy, Common Agricultural Policy, Mission "A Soil Deal for Europe", Bioeconomy Strategy, Forest Strategy, and of course, EU Soil Strategy for 2030. In fact, in the document launched by the Commission on , one of the objectives proposed in "COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS" published in Brussels, 17.11.2021on the "EU Soil Strategy for 2030" is to Join the international initiative ‘4 per 1000’ to increase the soil carbon in agricultural land". Soil Health Law in discussion
Communication Activities
The International "4 per 1000" Initiative relays information related to EU policies, including events, campaigns, publications, laws... related to agriculture, agroforestry, agricultural and forest soils, the land restoration… The international "4 per 1000" Initiative informs its Partners and Members (more than 874 as of September, 30, 2025 - https://4p1000.org/wp-content/uploads/updated_partners_members.pdf), and the audience, thanks in particular to its weekly press review, its information bulletins (4 per year), its social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.). All these information is relayed on the collaborative platform opened to Partners and Members. Within the framework of the European Union's Green Week, of which the international "4 per 1000" Initiative is a partner, organized an online Virtual Fair every year in May or June, on its collaborative platform. For instance, the 2021 Virtual Fair of the "4 per 1000" Initiative was officially launched on 3 May 2021, in the presence of a personality from the Council of Europe, the President and the two Vice- Initiative Chairs (online on our YouTube channel). More than 120 organizations participated in the "4 per 1000" Initiative 2021 Virtual Fair! The following years, the international "4 per 1000" Initiative organized its Virtual Fair during Green Week 2023 and 2024 as well as the North-Europe 4p1000 Regional Conference in Helsinki from 6th to 8th June 2023. On September 8, 2021, a European Parliament - "4 per 1000" Initiative webinar was organized. The topic of the webinar was ‘Accelerating Carbon farming. How to make Carbon Farming a Success for Climate, Environment and Farmers’ ? including some MPs and scientists. To Watch the video of the event here on the "4 per 1000" YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/KsGV_bJgXXk Many conferences organized by the "4 per 1000" Initiative on soil carbon sequestration : Helsinki, Abidjan et Hyderabad (2023), Rabat (2024), Rio and Berlin (2025).
Interests Represented
Does not represent commercial interests
Member Of
United Nations: The international “4 per 1000” Initiative works with various UN agencies and strengthens its participation in numerous working groups with the FAO ; it is a partner of the FAO Global Soil Partnership. The international "4 per 1000" Initiative is, since 2021, an official partner of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030*** . *** https://4p1000.org/united-nations-decade-on-ecosystem-restoration-2021-2030/?lang=en The international "4 per 1000" Initiative has been an active member of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021, which led to the creation of the Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH) and the Coalition on Agroecology, two coalitions of which the Initiative is a founding member. Others: The Executive Secretariat was also able to continue its contribution to the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture and submitted proposals for the new Sharm El Sheikh Joint work in agriculture and Food Systems and to the Soil Carbon International ResearchConsortium resulting from the ORCASA project, funded by EU Horizon 2020. ****ORCASA project - What is ORCASA? (https://irc-orcasa.eu/)
Organisation Members
With 874 Partners, including 388 Members (September 2025), the international "4 per 1000" Initiative has a global reach. This is a unique Initiative composed of different colleges (signatory countries, international and regional organizations, public and private funding bodies, farmers and foresters organizations, research institutes, NGOs and civil society, and private companies), linked through an innovative electronic collaborative platform. You can know the partners and members in the link https://4p1000.org/wp-content/uploads/updated_partners_members.pdf The following international organizations are also Members of the international "4 per 1000" Initiative: CEDEAO (Communauté Économique des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest) or ECOWAS in English (Economic Community of West African States), Nigeria CGIAR System Organization, France ; and the following CGIAR Centers: ICRAF, Kenya ; IRRI, Philippines CIHEAM (Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes / « International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies »), France The GEF (Global Environment Facility), USA The GGGI (Global Green Growth Institute), South Korea (only Partner) The GRA (Global Research Alliance), New Zealand The GWP (Global Water Partnership), Sweden The NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa's Development), South Africa The OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine), France The Savory Institute, USA The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), Switzerland The EC (European Commission), Belgium
Commissioner Meetings
No recorded meetings with EU commissioners.