The United Nations’ (UN) World Soil Day is held on December 5 annually to raise awareness of the importance of soil for human survival. The day is also a reminder of the need to protect this vital resource.
Soil provides many ecosystem services, including supporting plant growth, filtering and purifying water, and cycling nutrients.
It is also home to an estimated 25% of the world’s biodiversity. Despite its importance, soil is under threat from a range of human activities, including unsustainable farming practices, urbanization, and pollution.
World Soil Day was established by the UN General Assembly in December 2013 and first celebrated in 2014.
The day aims to increase understanding and awareness of the importance of healthy soils for food security and essential ecosystem functions.
Soil is the thin layer of organic and inorganic material that covers the Earth’s surface. It is one of the most important natural resources, yet it is often taken for granted. Soil provides a home for plants and animals, filters our water, recycles nutrients, and helps to regulate the Earth’s climate.
Yet, despite its importance, soil is under threat from human activity. Every year, an estimated 30% of all farmland is lost to soil degradation. This has serious implications for food security, as well as the environment.
World Soil Day was created to raise awareness of the importance of healthy soils and to promote sustainable management practices. This year’s theme is “Keep soil alive”, which focuses on the need to protect and restore soils around the world. There are many ways we can do this, such as by reducing tillage, planting cover crops, using organic fertilizers, and increasing crop rotations.
By implementing these practices, we can help keep our soils healthy and productive for generations to come.
Soil: The Mother From Which We Are All Born – Sadhguru | World Soil Day
World Soil Day Wikipedia
Soil is the foundation of our food system and a key ingredient in the production of nearly all the world’s crops. Yet, soils are being degraded at an alarming rate. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), one-third of the world’s soils are already degraded, and if current trends continue, this number will only increase.
This degradation has serious consequences for both food security and the environment. Soil degradation can cause a decrease in crop yields, as well as lead to soil erosion and increased greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, soil degradation is one of the main drivers of land desertification, which is a major problem in many parts of the world.
Fortunately, there are things that can be done to combat soil degradation. One important way is through sustainable land management practices that help to improve soil health. These practices include using cover crops, practicing crop rotation, and reducing tillage.
Additionally, it’s important to restore degraded lands through reforestation and other means.
World Soil Day is an annual event that aims to raise awareness about the importance of healthy soils for food security and environmental protection. It also serves as a day to promote sustainable land management practices that can help improve soil health.
This year’s World Soil Day theme is “stop soil erosion – save our future”.
World Soil Day Competition
Want to do something good for the environment? Why not enter World Soil Day’s competition! This year’s theme is “Be the Solution to Soil Pollution”.
The aim of the competition is to raise awareness about soil pollution and its effects on the environment and human health. You can enter as an individual or as a team. There are three categories: posters, videos, and songs.
The deadline is December 31st, 2019. For more information, check out the website: https://www.fao.org/world-soil-day/be-the-solution-to-soil-pollution/en/.
World Soil Day 2023 Theme
World Soil Day is celebrated every year on 5th December to bring awareness about the importance of soil for our survival. The day also highlights the need for sustainable management of this natural resource. This year’s theme for World Soil Day is “Stop Soil Erosion, Save Our Future”.
Soil erosion is a major environmental issue affecting all continents. It is defined as the removal of topsoil by water or wind. According to estimates, up to 30 tonnes per hectare of topsoil are lost every year due to erosion in Europe alone.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has estimated that US loses 2 billion tonnes of topsoil annually due to water and wind erosion. The effects of soil erosion are far-reaching and can be devastating both in the short and long term.
In the short term, soil erosion can lead to reduced crop yields, loss of grazing land, and increased sedimentation in rivers and dams.
In the long term, it can lead to desertification – a process where once fertile land becomes desert-like due to loss of topsoil. Desertification affects an estimated 12 million hectares each year, making it one of the most serious environmental problems in the world today.
So what can we do to stop soil erosion?
There are many things that can be done at both individual and government level:
• Individuals can help by being more conscious about how they use and manage their land. For example, using organic methods of farming, reducing tillage, planting trees and shrubs, terracing slopes, etc.
• Governments can help by implementing policies that incentivise sustainable land management practices.
World Soil Day 2022
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has announced that the next World Soil Day will be held on December 5, 2022. The day is meant to celebrate the importance of soil as a natural resource and to promote sustainable management practices.
Soil is essential for life on Earth.
It helps to anchor plants, stores water and nutrients, filters pollutants, and provides homes for many organisms. Unfortunately, human activities such as deforestation, mining, intensive agriculture, and urbanization have led to widespread soil degradation. This has consequences for food security, climate change mitigation, and biodiversity conservation.
World Soil Day was first celebrated in 2014, and FAO has been using it as an opportunity to raise awareness about the need to sustainably manage this vital resource. This year’s theme is “Keep soil alive”, with a focus on promoting practices that help to improve or maintain soil health. These include things like reducing tillage intensity, maintaining crop rotations, using organic matter amendments ,and protecting soils from erosion .
With over two-thirds of the world’s population projected to live in cities by 2050 , it is more important than ever that we all take action to protect our soils. On World Soil Day 2022 let’s pledge to do our part in keeping this vital resource alive!
What Should I Do for World Soil Day?
World Soil Day falls on December 5th each year and is an opportunity to celebrate the importance of soil and raise awareness about the need to protect this vital resource. There are many ways you can get involved in World Soil Day, whether it’s through raising awareness on social media, taking part in local events or simply educating yourself and others about the importance of healthy soils. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Share facts and figures about soils on social media using the hashtag #WorldSoilDay
Organise or take part in a local event such as a beach clean-up, tree planting day or community garden project
Educate yourself and others about the importance of healthy soils – check out resources from organisations like The Soil Association or The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)
Support farmers who are working to improve soil health, for example by buying organic produce or investing in carbon-sequestering agroforestry projects.
Why Do We Celebrate Soil Day?
Soil is essential to human life. It provides the foundation for our food production, purifies our water, and filters our air. Soil also supports plant growth and helps regulate the Earth’s temperature.
Yet despite its importance, soil is often taken for granted.
Soil Day was established to increase public awareness of the importance of soil resources and to promote sustainable management of these vital resources. Each year on December 5th, World Soil Day highlights a different theme related to soils.
This year’s theme is “Be the Solution to Soil Pollution”.
Soils are threatened by many forms of pollution, including chemical pollutants from agriculture, industry, and mining; biological pollutants such as invasive species and pathogens; and physical pollutants such as plastic waste and debris. These pollutants can degrade soil quality, reduce its productivity, and harm the plants and animals that rely on it for their livelihoods.
We can all help protect soils from pollution by being mindful of how we use them and dispose of waste products. For example, we can avoid using pesticides or excess fertilizers on our lawns and gardens; properly dispose of hazardous household chemicals; recycle organic waste instead of sending it to landfill; and choose products made with recycled materials instead of virgin materials whenever possible. By taking these simple steps, we can help keep soils healthy and productive for generations to come.
What Day is National Soil Day?
National soil day is celebrated on December 5th. This day was created to encourage the public to learn more about soils and their importance. By understanding soils, we can help protect and conserve this important natural resource.
There are many ways to get involved with National Soil Day. You can start by learning more about soils. The United States Department of Agriculture has a great website that provides information on all aspects of soils http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/soils/.
This website includes information on how soils are formed, what they do for the environment, and how we can use them wisely.
You can also celebrate National Soil Day by doing something positive for soils in your community. Here are some ideas:
• Plant a tree or shrub. Trees and shrubs help stabilize the soil and prevent erosion. They also provide habitat for wildlife and improve air quality.
• Reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides and herbicides in your yard or garden. Pesticides and herbicides can contaminate soil and water resources.
Conclusion
From the blog post, it is clear that World Soil Day is an important day to raise awareness about the importance of soil and its role in sustaining life on Earth. The author highlights some key points about why soil is so important, including its role in food production, clean water, and climate change. Overall, the blog post leaves readers with a better understanding of why World Soil Day is celebrated and how they can get involved.
