Celebrate World Soil Day 2023: Preserving our earth's lifeline

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World Soil Day 2023 focuses on increasing awareness about the crucial link between soil and water for achieving sustainable and resilient agrifood systems. This symbiotic relationship forms the very foundation of our agricultural systems, with soil and water playing a pivotal role in nutrient absorption by plants. Over 95 % of our food originates from these two fundamental resources.

Nevertheless, the relentless forces of climate change and human activity are precipitating the degradation of our soils, exerting undue pressure on our precious water resources. Erosion disrupts the delicate balance, diminishing water infiltration and availability for all forms of life.

The adoption of sustainable soil management practices emerges as our beacon of hope in the face of these challenges. Techniques such as minimum tillage, crop rotation, organic matter addition, and cover cropping prove to be effective in not only improving soil health but also in reducing erosion and pollution, and augmenting water infiltration and storage. Importantly, these practices serve as guardians of soil biodiversity, enhance fertility, and contribute significantly to carbon sequestration, thus playing a pivotal role in our collective fight against climate change.

The European Union's soil strategy for 2030, developed in the framework of the European Green Deal, will step up efforts to enhance soil management, protect soil fertility, reduce erosion and sealing, increase organic matter, increase soil carbon in agricultural land and restore degraded soils, so that by 2050 all soil ecosystems are in a healthy condition. 

Join us in commemorating World Soil Day 2023 and its campaign, as we collectively raise awareness about the profound importance of soil and water in our daily lives. 

For further guidance on #GreeningNEARaction, please reach out to INTPA-GREENING-FACILITY@ec.europa.eu | NEAR-GREENING-FACILITY@ec.europa.eu

Let us unite in our efforts to preserve the integrity of our soils, ensuring a sustainable legacy for generations to come. 

 FAO ResourcesWebsites

• FAO World Soil Day
• FAO Soils portal
• FAO Global Soil Partnership
• Global Symposium on Soils for Nutrition – July 2022 (outcomes)

Reports

• Global status of black soils
• Status of World's Soil Resources
• Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management
• Revised World Soil Charter
• Soils for nutrition: state of the art