History and background
From the 1950s–1980s, the NZ Government funded the NZ Soil Bureau to classify and map soils across Southwest Pacific countries (Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Tonga, Samoa). In Vanuatu, Australia’s VANRIS project undertook similar work in the 1980s. This was followed by regional initiatives such as SPACNET (1996–2007), training, and digitisation of soil maps. The scale of this effort is documented by Leslie (2010, 2022).
Preserving this knowledge is critical. These datasets represent decades of investment and form an irreplaceable scientific and cultural record of land capability, ecosystem function, and food security. Without secure digital systems, governance, and custodianship, they risk being lost or duplicated at high cost. Properly managed, they continue to support research, land-use planning, climate adaptation, and sustainable development.
In 2006, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research (MWLR) began developing S-map Online for New Zealand, prompting investigation of a Pacific Regional Soils Portal (PRSP). A French-funded feasibility study (Barringer et al., 2006) was endorsed at Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services meetings in 2006 and 2008, but progress stalled due to the Global Financial Crisis.
Momentum resumed with the FAO’s Global Soil Partnership (2012) and Pacific Soil Partnership meetings (2014, 2016). Three priorities were agreed: improving nutrient and water management, developing a Pacific Soils Portal, and strengthening capacity for extension services. These informed a funding proposal.
This led to the ACIAR 'Soil Management in Pacific Islands' project (Phase 1), initiated in 2017, supporting work on nutrient cycling, soil health, and portal development. The Pacific Soils Portal (PacSoP) launched in October 2020 with data from Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu. Phase 2 (funded in 2023) added Vanuatu, with an updated release in August 2024.
Following New Zealand science restructuring in 2025, MWLR became part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute – Maiangi Taiao (BSI, alongside AgResearch, Plant & Food Research, and Scion). As of 2026, PacSoP continues to be hosted by BSI/MWLR.
