Global Soil Doctors Program in Mexico

The Global Soil Doctors Program (PDS) in Mexico, implemented by the University Program of Interdisciplinary Soil Studies (PUEIS) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), seeks to train farmers in sustainable soil management through a farmer-to-farmer training approach. This program, part of the FAO Global Soil Partnership, has managed to certify trainers and farmers in several entities of the country, promoting good agricultural practices and contributing to soil preservation. To date, 32 Soil Doctor trainers have been certified, 10 of whom are public servants. In addition, the program's coverage has been expanded to the states of Michoacán, Mexico City, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Morelos, and Sinaloa, with plans to extend it to the entire country. Recent achievements of the program include the expansion to 320 certified Soil Doctor trainers and the training of 820 farmers who have also become certified as Soil Doctors. Approximately 4,100 farmers have been involved in the program, and at least 160 hectares have been managed with improved soil management practices.