Road to Belém: Scaling biosolutions for soil health and climate action gains momentum ahead of COP30

More than 40% of the world’s cultivated land is degraded, affecting more than three billion people. Because 95% of our food depends directly on soils, restoring soil health is fast becoming one of the most powerful levers for climate action and resilient food systems, and a focal point for the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.

The inaugural session of the “Road to Belém” webinar series brought together scientists, policymakers, development partners and innovators to explore how to scale biosolutions for soil health and climate action. Biosolutions which are biological or naturally derived products like beneficial microbes and natural fertilizers, can replace chemical inputs while restoring soil productivity. The series is co-organized by CGIAR’s Climate Action and Multifunctional Landscapes science programs, Brazil’s agricultural research agency Embrapa, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA), and is designed to align science, policy, and investment in the run up to COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

Moderated by James Stapleton, Senior Advocacy Advisor at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, the session set the tone for a three-part dialogue leading to COP30: from scientific evidence, to scaling and business models, to enabling policy and regulation.

Soils are nature’s adaptation infrastructure

Opening the discussion, Sieglinde SNAPP, co-Interim Director of CGIAR Climate Action and Director of CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agriculture and Agri-Food Systems Program, framed soil degradation as both a crisis and an opportunity.

“Soils are not just part of the problem, they are part of the solution,” she said. “They are nature’s own adaptation infrastructure.”

SNAPP highlighted the promise of biological innovations, ranging from microbial inoculants (beneficial bacteria that help plants absorb nutrients) to biofertilizers (natural alternatives to synthetic fertilizers), as vital tools for reducing chemical input dependency while restoring productivity. Drawing on lessons from Brazil and Mexico, she emphasized how bioinputs and regenerative agriculture can enhance resilience, boost nutrient efficiency, and curb nitrous oxide emissions, (a greenhouse gas 300 times more potent than CO₂)..
“These innovations only reach their potential when science connects with policy and finance,” she said. “That’s the goal of this Road to COP30 series – to scale solutions that secure both climate and food futures.”
Panelists from Brazil, Kenya, and the UK echoed the need for locally tailored, evidence-based scaling models

Brazil’s bioinputs revolution

Alessandro Cruvinel, the Director of Innovation, MAPA spotlighted the Brazil’s leadership in advancing biological agriculture through its National Bioinputs Program. In just four years, the sector’s market share has tripled. More than 1,000 farmers have halved their pesticide use through bio-based practices.
“Brazil became the first country with a national law for bioinputs,” Cruvinel said. “This clarity has helped unlock innovation and investor confidence.”
He also previewed the upcoming RAISE (High-Resilient Agriculture Investment for Net Zero Land Irrigation) initiative, set to launch at COP30, which will link sustainability, technology, and investment to accelerate climate-positive farming.
“This is about connecting innovation with impact,” he added. “Bioinputs are transforming our agriculture and can do the same globally.”

From monitoring to action: science that scales

Leigh Winowiecki, Global Research Lead for Soil and Land Health at CIFOR ICRAF, underscored why now:

• Soil health underpins ecosystem restoration, climate adaptation and mitigation, and is the most biodiverse ecosystem on Earth.
• Landscapes are diverse; scaling requires locally tailored solutions and robust monitoring, such as the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF) and national soil health monitoring networks.
• Biosolutions are a core part of moving beyond business as usual, from recycled waste fertilizers in Kenya to microbial products that boost nutrient uptake.

What practitioners are learning on the ground

Brazil – Embrapa Soja (Marco Antônio Nogueira) highlighted that Brazil grows ~45 million hectares of soybean using BNF, dramatically reducing reliance on synthetic nitrogen. New inoculants are improving phosphorus use efficiency in maize and sorghum, and microbial solutions are enhancing pasture and grassland management. Practical insights included co inoculation strategies, furrow application (which protects microbes from seed treatment chemicals), and the importance of building soil organic carbon to create microbially favorable conditions. Scaling will hinge on high quality products, diversification, and strong extension services.

East Africa – Kumea Agriculture (Marcus Gitau) shared lessons from how Kumea commercialized Bio fix, a local biofertilizer derived from effective indigenous bacteria. Two barriers dominate for smallholders: financial sustainability and land degradation. Gitau contrasted Kenya’s US$120M/year blanket fertilizer subsidy with an alternative: farm gate soil testing + Bio fix at roughly US$35 per farmer, which could cut public costs and generate a national soil map. He also noted that adoption often follows robust extension and clear evidence, hence rapid uptake in countries like Tanzania and Malawi.

Global/UK – FCDO (Aine McGowan) emphasized that the science of microbial fertilizers is promising but under invested; markets contain many unverified products, so standards and benchmarks are crucial. Global partners can fund public good evidence, support SMEs to validate efficacy, and harmonize regulations. She highlighted UK Brazil Africa trilateral partnerships that co develop locally adapted microbial solutions (e.g., for cassava), and noted a UK–Brazil MoU on fertilizers aimed at promoting sustainable alternatives.

Policy & systems – CGIAR Multifunctional Landscapes /Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (Mirjam Pulleman), advocates that regenerative agriculture offers a systems approach that pairs nature based practices with appropriate modern inputs. Priorities include:

• Clear definitions of “bio inputs” and “biosolutions” to avoid confusion and “snake oil” claims.
• Dual monitoring frameworks, one for soil health, another for biofertilizer effectiveness.
• Farmer centred design through living labs and multi stakeholder platforms, recognizing constraints like limited access to organic matter in circular approaches.

Brazil – Embrapa (Iêda de Carvalho Mendes), presented the SoilBio Analysis, launched by Embrapa in July 2020, enables large scale soil health assessment by combining two enzyme indicators that act as eco sensors, highly sensitive to soil organic matter and able to detect problems before yields drop. A network of 33 private laboratories feeds a central database, forming the backbone of a Brazilian Soil Health Platform to be launched at COP30. Her reminder: the “best biological industry” is healthy soil itself, and 99% of soil microbes don’t grow on standard media, so good soil management is non negotiable.

Five shifts to scale biosolutions (Converging science, policy, and practice)

Participants agreed that scaling biosolutions will require more than innovation alone, it demands investment, regulation, and collaboration.

1. Context first. Tailor solutions to local agroecologies and farmer realities; avoid one size fits all subsidies.
2. New business models. Rebalance investments toward soil testing, advisory services, and bio inputs that deliver total system value.
3. Extension and capacity. Bridge knowledge and practice gaps so products are used correctly and safely.
4. Evidence and trust. Establish robust standards, verification, and open benchmarks to build confidence and crowd in finance.
5. Enabling environment. Adopt smart regulation (Brazil’s bio inputs law is a template), promote farmer rights, and align public–private–research partnerships.

Closing the session, James Stapleton observed a palpable convergence of science, policy, and practice: “Biosolutions are no longer niche. They’re becoming a cornerstone of regenerative, climate‑smart agriculture.”

What’s next on the Road to Belém

Session two will dive into scaling strategies and business models; session three will address policy frameworks and regulatory alignment, all aimed at turning evidence into implementation before delegates gather in Belém for COP30.

“By working across disciplines and linking climate action with multifunctional landscapes, we can drive a transformation toward healthy soils, resilient farmers, and sustainable food systems. This is the foundation for climate security, and it’s needed now more than ever,” Snapp concluded.

Authors: Regina Edward – Uwadiale and Wandera Ojanji