Welcome to the NIBIO seminar on Soil for Climate Mitigation and One Health
Information
The ground beneath our feet is far more than mere dirt; it is a complex, living membrane that serves as a cornerstone for planetary stability. Soil health is the foundation of sustainable farming because it drives productivity, resilience, and environmental stewardship, functioning as a vibrant ecosystem rather than just a growing medium. According to the FAO, approximately 33% of the world’s soils are already degraded. Climate change and rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have created urgent global challenges. Among these, nitrous oxide (N2O) is a particularly potent GHG—nearly 270–300 times more effective at warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide (N2O) over a 100-year period, with an atmospheric lifespan exceeding a century. In the agricultural sector, N2O emissions are primarily driven by the use of synthetic fertilizers and manure management.
Animal manure is also a well-known hotspot for the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to soil, the environment, and humans, making it a critical One Health issue. Mitigating agricultural N2O emissions is therefore essential for food security, soil health, and global well-being, requiring the commitment from the international community.
This Soil for Climate Mitigation and One Health symposium provides a forum for scientists from NIBIO and other Norwegian and international research organizations to share their knowledge, experiences, discuss challenges, and explore future perspectives.
The symposium will be held at NIBIO Oslo, address: Campus Ullevål, Sognsveien 72, 0855 Oslo on August 26, 2026. It consists of two sessions: The Morning session focuses on Soil for Climate Mitigation, and the afternoon session will cover Soil for One Health.
Photo: Silje Kvist Simonsen; illustration: Xueli Chen
Registration form
Information
Program
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SESSION I: SOIL FOR CLIMATE MITIGATION
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08:30-09:00
Registration
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09:00-09:15
Welcome and introduction of NIBIO
Director/CEO, Ivar H Kristensen, NIBIO
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09:15-10:00
Global N2O emission reduction strategies in agriculture and the current status in China
Prof. and Academician Yong-Guan Zhu, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
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10:00-10:30
Unlocking bacterial potential to reduce farmland N2O emissions
Prof. Lars Bakken, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)
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10:30-10:45
Coffee break
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10:45-11:15
Biochar for climate mitigation and contaminant control
Prof. Daniel Rasse, NIBIO
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11:15-11:45
Empowering farmers and communities to boost rural resilience in Europe and China, EU-China Horizon Europe NEXRUR project
Yutong Qiu, PhD and Business development manager, WUR, NL
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11:45-12:45
Lunch
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SESSION II: SOIL FOR ONE HEALTH
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13:00-13:30
Biochar for soil health and one health
Prof. Gerard Cornelissen, NIBIO and NMBU
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13:30-14:00
Harnessing soil microbiome for One Health
Prof. Yong-Guan Zhu, CAS, China
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14:00-14:30
Reducing the antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) transmission from soil to plants using beneficial soil bacteria
Fangjie Zhao, Professor, Nanjing Agric Univ.
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14:30-14:45
Coffee break
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14:45-15:15
Confronting the planetary threat of the irreversible accumulation TFA, PFAS, plastics and other persistent entities
Hans Peter Arp, Professor, The Norwegian Geotechnical Institute
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15:15-15:40
Breaking Boundaries against antimicrobial resistance: The SiNorAMR Norway-China Collaboration
Jihong Liu Clarke, Research Prof. and Coordinator for China Relations, NIBIO
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15:40-16:00
Wrap up and future directors
Per Stålnacke, Director of Research, NIBIO
Contact
For questions regarding the seminar, please contact Jihong Liu Clarke:
Jihong Liu Clarke
40450609