As part of Chile’s first scientific center specializing in soil health, Dr. Claudia Ortiz and Dr. Carmen Pizarro, from the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, work to generate rigorous knowledge about how soils sustain life.
The Chilean Center for Soil and Ecosystem Functions Research (CISFECh) is a national scientific consortium led by the Universidad Austral de Chile, with the University of Chile and the University of Santiago de Chile (Usach) serving as partner institutions. Comprising more than 30 Chilean and international researchers, the center’s team includes Dr. Carmen Pizarro and Dr. Claudia Ortiz from Usach's Faculty of Chemistry and Biology.
“This is the first national and regional initiative to address soil as a resource in a comprehensive, multidisciplinary way through the concept of ‘soil security,’” stated Dr. Ortiz at the inaugural event for the new center, which is funded by the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID).
The concept of “soil security,” Dr. Ortiz explains, spans scientific, policy, and cultural dimensions focused on protecting and restoring this resource. In doing so, healthy soils help produce food, clean water, and renewable energy, while safeguarding biodiversity and fostering long-term climate stability.
“It involves protecting soil as a finite and strategic resource to ensure agricultural production, preserve key ecosystem services, prevent land degradation, and guarantee long-term sustainability,” added the USACH scholar. Dr. Ortiz serves as principal investigator for the center's “Soil as a Pollutant Filter” research line, collaborating alongside Dr. Carmen Pizarro (Usach), Dr. Yasna Tapia (University of Chile), and Dr. Mónica Antilén (PUC).
Marking one of its first major milestones, CISFECh convened its inaugural Board of Directors meeting on Monday, April 27, at the University of Chile’s Main Campus in Santiago. The session brought together representatives from partner universities—Universidad Austral de Chile, University of Chile, and Usach—as well as delegates from the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG).
At the session’s conclusion, University of Chile Rector Dr. Rosa Devés highlighted the collaborative and historic nature of the milestone: “The great challenges of science can only be addressed through collaboration, and this center crowns and builds upon a history spanning many years. It is a source of pride for the country,” she stated.