Discussions on the third day of Global Soil Week 2013 focused on pathways to societal change. In the morning, eight dialogue sessions took place, covering: how to reactivate soil functions in urban regions; transdisciplinary collaboration and strengthening science-policy-practice linkages; capacity building for reclamation and revaluation of degraded sites; developing effective soil communication; communicating the pivotal role of soil quality in sustainable agriculture and food security; a new instrument to address soil and land degradation under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification; mobilizing societal change to address land degradation and reduce poverty in the developing world; and partnerships for responsible land governance.

In the afternoon, following a panel discussion on outcomes from the dialogues sessions, a closing high-level plenary convened to consider the key messages of GSW 2013 and follow up actions. Participants were invited to continue to reflect on the dialogues fostered during the week and submit proposals for inclusion in the draft outcome document, Agenda for Action.

The plenary session concluded with a wrap-up performance by Theatersport Berlin, extracting messages from the discussions.