Today is World Soil Day. The occasion is dedicated to addressing soil degradation. It requires comprehensive domestic and international efforts involving government policies, research initiatives, and awareness programmes.
Hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Global Soil Partnership, strives to enhance soil governance and promote the practice of sustainable soil management for food security, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and sustainable development.
Soil and water are Asia and Pacific region’s bread and butter. Here in the world’s most populous region, there is a crisis slowly unfolding that involves the earth beneath our feet. The soil that has been producing the food we eat and supporting the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of farmers and others, is under threat.
Addressing soil degradation requires comprehensive domestic and international efforts involving government policies, research initiatives, and awareness programmes.
In a world hungry for solutions, FAO is sowing the seeds of sustainability, emphasizing the importance of understanding, and addressing the complex nexus between soil health, sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and essential ecosystem services.
In doing so, we aim to help countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and achieve better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all.
Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, FAO, Jong-Jin Kim states, “As we navigate the multiple challenges of recovery from the pandemic, conflicts, and the need for systemic agrifood systems reform, celebrating World Soil Day should extend beyond 5 December, calling for collective action and a daily commitment to safeguard the Earth's lifeline – our soil. It’s literally our bread and butter.”