World Soil Day 5 December

World Soil Day  5 December

"On World Soil Day, I call for greater attention to the pressing issues affecting soils, including climate change, antimicrobial resistance, soil-borne diseases, contamination, nutrition and human health." 

— UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon

2016 Theme: “Soils and pulses, a symbiosis for life”

The positive contributions of pulses to soil properties are many: they fix the atmosphere nitrogen and improve its biodiversity, fertility & structure.

That is why the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) dedicates this year's World Soil Day to pulses. Also, owing to their nutritional benefits, 2016 was declared the International Year of Pulses.

The campaign aims to connect people with soils and raise awareness on their critical importance in our lives.

Soil is an essential resource and a vital part of the natural environment from which most of the global food is produced.

At the same time, soil provides living space for humans, as well as essential ecosystem services, which are important for water regulation and supply, climate regulation, biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration and cultural services. 

But soils are under pressure from increases in population, higher demands for food and competing land uses. Approximately 33% of our global soils are degraded and policy makers around the world are exploring opportunities to embrace sustainable development via the sustainable development goals.

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