World Soil Day

  About the Soil Organic Carbon (SOC). The GSOCmap provides users with very useful information to  monitor the soil condition , identify degraded areas , set restoration targets , explore SOC sequestrationpotentials , support the greenhouse gas emission reporting under the UNFCCC and make evidence-based decisions to mitigate and adapt to a changing climate . Read the full report!

  The types of ecosystem services and the  soil functions  referred to in the definition can be elaborated as follows:  • Supporting services include primary production, nutrient cycling and soil formation;  • Provisioning services comprise the supply of food, fibre, fuel, timber and water; raw earth material; surface stability; habitat and genetic resources;  • Regulating services imply the regulation of aspects such as water supply and quality, carbon sequestration, climate regulation, control of floods and erosion; and  • Cultural services denote the aesthetic and cultural benefits derived from soil use.  Sustainable Soil Management  is associated with the following characteristics: 1. Minimal rates of soil erosion by water and wind; 2. The soil structure is not degraded (e.g. soil compaction) and provides a stable physical context for movement of air, water, and heat, as well as root growth; 3. Sufficient surface cover (e.g. from growing ...

  Soils have diverse chemical, physical and biological properties. As a consequence, they differ in their responses to management practices, their inherent ability to deliver ecosystem services, as well as their resilience to disturbance and vulnerability to degradation. The Status of the World’s Soil Resources report identified ten key threats that hamper the achievement of SSM. These threats are: soil erosion by water and wind, soil organic carbon loss, soil nutrient imbalance, soil salinization, soil contamination, acidification, loss of soil biodiversity, soil sealing, soil compaction and waterlogging . These different threats vary in terms of intensity and trend depending on geographical contexts, though they all need to be addressed in order to achieve sustainable soil management. SSM shall contribute to addressing global challenges, and meeting international commitments, including:  • the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development , where SSM could directly or indirectly c...

  Humankind is facing tremendous challenges in agriculture: the climate is changing, the global population is growing quickly, cities are expanding, diets are undergoing major shifts – and soils are becoming increasingly degraded. In this fast-changing world, and given the urgent need to eliminate hunger and ensure food security and nutrition, understanding and attaining sustainable soil management has never been more important. Indeed, the Sustainable Development Goals identify the need to restore degraded soils and improve soil health. There is widespread agreement that we must nurture and unlock the full potential of soils, so as to be able to not only support food production but also to store and supply more clean water, maintain biodiversity, sequester carbon and increase resilience in a changing climate. This is a goal that requires the universal implementation of sustainable soil management. Soils are the foundation of food production and many essential ecosystem services. I...