A global platform for action.

Endorsed by the UN General Assembly and facilitated by FAO and its Global Soil Partnership, World Soil Day has become a global movement promoting sustainable soil management and raising public awareness across governments, academia, civil society and communities.

Urban soils—long overlooked—are increasingly recognized as essential components of sustainable, green cities. They produce food, support green spaces that filter water, buffer floods, cool urban temperatures, store carbon and enhance public health and quality of life. Emerging evidence also shows that contact with biodiverse and healthy soils helps regulate the human immune system.

FAO continues to support countries in improving their soil management through flagship initiatives including the Recarbonization of Global Agricultural Soils (RECSOIL), the Global Soil Doctors Programme, and the work of FAO’s Technical Networks and Regional Soil Partnerships, which help translate science into practical solutions for farmers, municipalities and communities worldwide.

Through the FAO Green Cities Initiative, more than 300 cities worldwide are already improving soil health through restoration, de-sealing practices, expanded green spaces and sustainable urban and peri-urban agriculture. FAO aims to reach 1 000 cities by 2030.

These messages echo the findings of FAO’s recent flagship reports, including the State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture 2025 (SOLAW 2025) and the State of Food and Agriculture 2025 (SOFA 2025), which underline that protecting and restoring soils, land and water is essential to strengthening agrifood systems, boosting resilience and meeting the needs of a growing global population.