World Soil Day

 The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today marked World Soil Day 2025 with a global celebration in Rome under the theme “ Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities. ” The Day underscores the crucial role that soil health plays not only in agriculture but also in shaping more resilient, greener and healthier urban environments . With two-thirds of the world’s population projected to live in cities by 2050, urban soils are under increasing pressure from sealing, pollution and unplanned expansion . These trends threaten the soil's ability to produce food, regulate temperature, filter water, store carbon and support biodiversity. Rapid urban growth is also consuming fertile peri-urban croplands—some nearly twice as productive as the global average—placing additional strain on agrifood systems. This year’s World Soil Day carries special significance as it coincides with FAO’s 80th anniversary —eight decades of partnership, innovation and action for better produc...

Healthy Soils for healthy Cities. We celebrate World Soil Day (WSD) annually on 5 December to raise global awareness about the role soils play in agricultural development, ecosystem functions and food security. Explore the events nearby you: Worldwide events held in celebration of the World Soil Day 2025. EVENTS : List of events 95% of our food comes from soils.33% of soils are degraded. It can take up to 1 000 years to produce just 2-3 cm of soil. Soils supply 15 of the 18 naturally occurring chemical elements essential to plants.There are more living organisms in a tablespoon of soil than people on Earth. 2 billion people worldwide suffer from lack of micronutrients, known as hidden hunger. Up to 58% more food could be produced through sustainable soil management. Soil is home to nearly 59% of Earth’s species. Campaign materials Social Media Cards  Find t he logo in your language ! Don’t see your language? Let us know so we can add it Campaign materials Endorsed by the Food and A...

Reducing urban soil sealing isn’t without challenges: High investment costs : Building green infrastructure and retrofitting cities with permeable surfaces requires upfront capital, which can be a major barrier for municipalities with tight budgets. Resistance from developers : Construction companies often default to traditional materials and methods. Changing this habit demands new training, incentives, and updated building regulations. Limited public awareness : Many citizens are unaware of the direct link between impermeable surfaces and water shortages, floods, and overheating. Without public support, political momentum remains weak. Fragmented policies : Soil sealing is often regulated locally, without national coordination. This creates patchy efforts and missed opportunities for large-scale impact. Lack of green urban space : Densely built cities may lack room to implement nature-based solutions, requiring creative approaches like vertical greening or depaving underused areas. ...

  Healthy soils for healthy cities. Healthy soils are the foundation of life on Earth. Each year on 5 December, World Soil Day (WSD) celebrates soils and raises awareness of their importance for sustainable agrifood systems, climate action, biodiversity, and human well-being. The theme for 2025, “Healthy soils for healthy cities”, focuses on the role of soils in cities and the challenges posed by soil sealing and urbanization. With two-thirds of the world’s population expected to live in cities by 2050, soils are the foundations of sustainable and resilient cities. World Soil Day 2025 is a call to action! It invites policymakers, scientists, city leaders, civil society, and citizens everywhere to reimagine urban spaces through their soils, ensuring that people and nature can thrive together in healthy green cities. Draft agenda Time (CET)Programme 10:00 – 10:05 Welcome and Introduction Ms Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General, FAO 10:05 – 10:35 High-level Opening Dr. QU Dongyu, Dir...

Healthy soils are the foundation of life on Earth. World Soil Day (WSD) celebrates soils and raises awareness of their importance for sustainable agrifood systems and human well-being. The theme for 2025 is " Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities " and focuses on the role of soils in cities. Related Sites and Documents:  Concept Note  &  FAO Webpage Watch the celebration of World Soil Day 2025! Meetings & Events

  The 13th Plenary Assembly of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) will take place from 3 to 5 June 2025 at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome. The event , which coincides with FAO’s 80th anniversary, is set to bring together global stakeholders to advance sustainable soil management and restoration efforts. The Assembly will officially open on 3 June at 09:00 CEST with a ceremonial launch celebrating FAO’s legacy on sustainable land and soil management. The opening will feature keynote addresses from FAO Director-General and other distinguished speakers. High-level roundtables will follow, tackling issues such as data, science, innovation, and the role of emerging technologies in sustainable soil practices. Don't miss the grand opening, which will be streamed live to all: Thirteenth Global Soil Partnership Plenary Assembly: Grand Opening . The soil partners' day On 4 June 2025, the land and soil partners’ day will highlight the contributions of ...

  A presentation by Farmer Diane Masure on the Global Conservation Agriculture Network for the Global Soil Partnership Plenary Assembly, July 13th, 2023, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, Italy.

What causes the problem? Soil degradation is an entirely natural process that is cyclical in nature. However, this process has been sped up by increased human activities. Activities such as intensive farming practices, deforestation, overgrazing, intensive cultivation, forest fires, and construction all disturb soil and leave it vulnerable to wind and water erosion.  

  The objective of this protocol is to provide a framework, based on a set of indicators, for government officials, NGOs, and other stakeholders involved in development projects, to determine if implemented soil management practices are sustainable and in line with the definition of Sustainable Soil Management (SSM) included in the Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management (VGSSM) (FAO, 2017). This protocol and its indicators, parameters, and methods should be regularly revised and updated according to the evolution of soil sciences and the results obtained during its use in the field, reflecting local, national and regional realities. The measurement of recommended indicators provides an evaluation of a soil’s ability to maintain prioritized ecosystem services, and therefore improve farmers’ productivity and income in a sustainable manner. This document is built on existing work of the FAO’s Global Soil Partnership (GSP): the revised World Soil Charter (WSC) (FAO, 2015...

It emphasize the role of SOIL MANAGEMENT in sustainable agriculture and food systems. Black soils are essential for: - Feeding the world. - Supporting the global economy. - Being highly fertile and productive. - Representing 17% of the world's croplands. Crops and Activities Supported by Black Soils: 1. Wheat. 2. Orchards. 3. Potatoes. 4. Soybeans. 5. Cattle raising. 6. Rice and corn. 7. Grain and oilseed crops. 8. Forage and fiber production. Key Facts (Center Box): - Black soils constitute an important source of food globally. - They are key for the global economy. - They are recognized as highly fertile and productive. - They cover 17% of global croplands. Developed by: - Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations ( @fao ). - Global Soil Partnership.

  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...

  This document presents the first major global assessment ever on soils and related issues. Why was such an assessment not carried out before? We have taken soils for granted for a long time. Nevertheless, soils are the foundation of food production and food security, supplying plants with nutrients, water, and support for their roots. Soils function as Earth’s largest water filter and storage tank; they contain more carbon than all above-ground vegetation, hence regulating emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases; and they host a tremendous diversity of organisms of key importance to ecosystem processes. However, we have been witnessing a reversal in attitudes, especially in light of serious concerns expressed by soil practitioners in all regions about the severe threats to this natural resource. In this more auspicious context, when the international community is fully recognizing the need for concerted action , the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS)...

  Healthy soils are a basic prerequisite to meeting varied needs for food, biomass (energy), fiber, fodder, and other products, and to ensuring the provision of essential ecosystem services in all regions of the world. However, humankind is facing unprecedented pressures on soil resources. In particular, soil degradation of various types including sealing due to fast urbanization are taking their heavy toll, threatening food security and ecological balance. With the Sustainable Development Goals currently under consideration and soon to be implemented, it is fundamental to ensure sustainable management of soils in order to make these goals a reality. Fortunately, there is recognition of the need to act more forcefully at all levels, nationally, regionally and internationally in order to reverse alarming trends and to maintain the healthy soils required for feeding growing populations . Most symbolically, the General Assembly of the United Nations has formally endorsed the celebrati...

  This is the fourth version of the International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management that FAO’s governing bodies have approved since 1985. It provides a framework that guides government regulators, the private sector, civil society and other stakeholders on best practice in managing pesticides throughout their lifecycle. Its overall structure remains unchanged and covers every aspect of pesticide management from production to disposal. This version, approved by the 38th FAO Conference in June 2013, incorporates public health pesticides and vector control to broaden the scope of the Code of Conduct beyond agricultural pesticides. It gives greater attention to health and environmental aspects of pesticides, updates a number of definitions and terms and aligns guidance in several technical areas with developments in international chemicals management. The new Code comes at a time when greater attention is being focused on increasing food production while conserving and enhancing ...

   KEY ROLE OF SOIL Help to combat and adapt to climate change by storing carbon and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.

  KEY ROLE OF SOIL: Host a quarter of the planet's biodiversity and contribute to the global cycles that make all life possible.

  KEY ROLE OF SOIL: Minimize surface evaporation and maximize water use efficiency and productivity

  KEY ROLE OF SOIL: Capture and store water for crops.

KEY ROLE OF SOIL: Provide water infiltration through soil, trapping pollutants and preventing them from leaching into the groundwater.

KEY ROLE OF SOIL: Provide fibre, fuel, medicinal products and other ecosystem services.