Republic of Moldova: FAO supports soil mapping to strengthen sustainable land management

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the National Agency for Land Improvement (ANIF) and with scientific support from the National Institute for Applied Research in Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (IP INCAAMV), has launched a soil sampling campaign at six permanent soil monitoring sites in the districts of Orhei and Rezina. The activity is part of the land degradation neutrality project, implemented by FAO and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Soils in the Republic of Moldova are affected by erosion, loss of humus and other forms of degradation, yet their current condition is poorly documented. The last systematic soil survey nationwide was carried out decades ago, and the available information no longer reflects conditions on the ground. Without up-to-date field data, decisions on fertilization, land improvement and soil protection rest on uncertain ground.

Together, the six sites characterize soil conditions across Orhei and Rezina. Nationwide, the monitoring network envisages up to 136 sites requiring similar work.

At each site, specialists describe the soil by layer and collect samples to analyse at least 11 core indicators set out in the European Union (EU) Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 November 2025 – from acidity, humus and organic carbon to texture, bulk density and erosion rate.

Following scientific validation by the National Institute, the georeferenced data will be prepared for integration into the “Soil Register of the Republic of Moldova” Information System and the geoportal of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (INDS). Each sample is given a unique code, a chain-of-custody record and a laboratory certificate within a quality-management system aligned with the EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard. The use of an open format together with accompanying metadata allows alignment with the EU INSPIRE standards. As a result, the data become comparable and can be used by national institutions and for reporting at European level.

The benefits extend to farmers and local authorities. They gain verified information about soil conditions in their district, including acidity, humus content, erosion risk and the soil’s capacity to retain water. On this basis, they can select more suitable crops, adjust fertilization and take soil-protection measures, reducing productivity losses and unnecessary costs.

“With FAO’s support, we are bringing soil monitoring back into routine practice and establishing consistent field and laboratory procedures that we will be able to apply at every site in the national network. We value this partnership, which is helping us turn a long-standing intention into concrete action,” said Svetlana Ghetmancenco, Director of the National Agency for Land Improvement.

“FAO’s role is to help the Republic of Moldova put in place its own sustainable system for tracking the state of the soil, so that it has the tools and capacity to protect it systematically. Alignment with European standards also makes these data relevant beyond the country’s borders,” said Mihai Ojog, FAO Project Manager.

The field campaign is followed by laboratory analyses, data validation and the preparation of six site reports, together with a comparative synthesis. The entire cycle takes 120 days and provides a replicable model for the gradual expansion of the national soil quality monitoring network.

Since 2020, the project “Enabling a policy environment for integrated natural resources management and implementation of an integrated approach to achieve land degradation neutrality in the Republic of Moldova” has supported several soil-conservation activities. These include the development and institutionalization of the soil quality monitoring methodology; the production of GIS maps and datasets on land use, land productivity and soil organic carbon across the pilot area of about 95 000 ha; the assessment of protective forest shelterbelts and preparations for the rehabilitation of about 130 ha of shelterbelts, which protect over 10 000 ha of agricultural land; the development of a Land Degradation Neutrality Strategy and 32 local action plans; and the promotion of climate-smart agriculture practices through Farmer Field Schools attended by more than 1 600 farmers.