Variable Charge Soils, Climate Change and Food Security workshop

This two-day Variable Charge Soils Conference workshop has been designed for delegates from Island Nations, Australia and New Zealand

Pre-conference workshop: Variable Charge Soils, Climate Change and Food Security in Island Nations

This pre-conference, two-day capacity-building workshop preceding the Soils with Variable Charge Conference 2026. Delivered under GlobalCARE | planetCARE Academy | Soil Doctors Pacific™.

This workshop can be used towards continuing professional development (CPD) points*

Purpose of the workshop

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face acute and accelerating risks from climate change — including sea-level rise, salinisation, extreme rainfall variability, declining soil fertility and increasing food insecurity. Despite these challenges, island nations remain structurally under-served in soil-specific technical capacity building, often relying on agricultural guidance derived from temperate systems that do not reflect island soil realities.

This workshop addresses a foundational but overlooked constraint: the dominance of variable charge soils in island environments and their implications for nutrient efficiency, cropping systems and climate resilience.

The program is designed not as a conventional scientific meeting, but as a training-led, policy-relevant, practitioner-focused capacity-building intervention, tailored explicitly for island nations and Australian delegates.
(*) Please check with your certification agency for CPD points.

Why attend?

Island soils differ fundamentally from the permanent-charge soils common to temperate regions. Variable charge soils dominate many island landscapes, controlling:

• phosphorus availability and fixation,
• nutrient retention and fertiliser efficiency,
• salinity response and contaminant mobility, and
• resilience to climate-induced extremes.

Yet these soil behaviours remain poorly integrated into:

• agricultural extension advice,
• climate adaptation and food security programs, and
• national soil and fertiliser guidelines.

The consequences include low nutrient-use efficiency, declining productivity and maladaptive management under climate stress.

The workshop responds directly to this gap through targeted, island-specific training, translating soil science into practical tools for climate-resilient land and cropping system management.

Workshop Objectives

· Build technical capacity in soil-based climate adaptation for island nations
· Translate variable charge soil science into practical management strategies
· Improve nutrient-use efficiency, food security and soil resilience
· Support nature-positive, low-cost and scalable solutions
· Strengthen regional networks of practitioners, policymakers and early-career scientists
Workshop Structure

Workshop Structure

Day 1 ( 2-3-2026) – Science to Practice: Variable charge soil processes; nutrient dynamics under climate stress; Soil Doctors Pacific™ diagnostics and management for island cropping systems.

Day 2 ( 3-3-2026) – Field Learning & Co-design: Field visit to climate-exposed soils; applied soil and crop assessment; co-design of climate-smart soil management pathways for island agriculture.

The workshop topics are very well aligned with Global and Regional priorities, such as

FAO: Climate-Smart Agriculture; Sustainable Soil Management; Global Soil Partnership
UN Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 2 (Zero Hunger); SDG 13 (Climate Action); SDG 15 (Life on Land); SDG 17 (Partnerships)
2050 Blue Pacific Strategy: Resilient food systems; regional capacity building; science-to-policy integration

The workshop will offer invaluable networking opportunities. Delegates will get the opportunity to build connections with instructors as well as with their fellow delegates.

This workshop will also provide an opportunity to put your organisation at the forefront of best practices in dealing with variable charge soil. The delegates will gain knowledge on improved climate-aware soil and nutrient management capacity in island nations, practical soil-based mitigation and adaptation options for cropping systems and a "Pacific Soil Doctors" roadmap aligned with climate and food security priorities.

Workshop attendees will also receive

• An information pack containing: course notes, handouts and group activities
• Presenters’ PowerPoint slides* (in secured PDF, subject to presenter approval)
• a certificate of completion.

Who should attend?

Delegates from Small Island Developing States (SIDS), from Australia and New Zealand, who have an interest in Variable Charge Soils and challenges associated with it.

Australian Policy- and law-makers, regulators, landowners, contamination consultants, remediation practitioners, geologists, researchers, and academics.

The workshop presenters are renowned in the industry and have hands-on field experience in variable charge soils.

Venue

ATC Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2308

Cost

AUD $ 150 (Ex GST)

Refund policy

Attendees can request a refund up to 7 days before the event start date. An administration fee of $50 will apply.

Sponsorship Opportunities - Pacific Soil Fellowships

Sponsor's support will enable:
Travel and participation fellowships for island nation participants
- Delivery of training modules
- Post-workshop reporting and knowledge products

The initiative aligns strongly with priorities on:
- climate adaptation and resilience
- Sustainable food systems
- Natural capital and soil health
- Institutional and human capacity building

For Sponsorship opportunities, please contact:

,
Distinguished Laureate Professor Ravi Naidu, Conference Chair – Soils with Variable Charge Conference 2026
email: ravi.naidu@crccare.com

,

Workshop host

crcCARE (www.crccare.com )

crcCARE is a partnership of organisations dedicated to developing new ways of dealing with and preventing contamination of soil, water, and air including solid and liquid waste management. We focus Australia’s foremost expertise and resources on this issue and develop close links with research partners at the cutting edge in this field around the world.