Havana, June 1 (RHC) -- A workshop of the Regional Alliance for Soils in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean got underway in Havana today to promote sustainable soil management in the region.

The meeting, which runs through tomorrow, Tuesday, at Havana's International Convention Center, is sponsored by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and will discuss the implementation of soil preservation strategies in the period 2016-2019.

This event precedes an international congress on soils, scheduled for June 3rd through the 5th, also at Havana's Convention Center.

The congress is convened by the Institute of Soils and the Cuban Society of Soil Science as part of activities for the declaration of 2015 as "International Year of Soils" by the United Nations at the request of the FAO.

The forum includes a series of master lectures by outstanding experts, including FAO's representative in Cuba, Theodor Friedrich.

There will also be an exhibit in which Cuban and foreign firms will display and market soil-related equipment, technologies and services.