World Soil Day
World Soil Day (WSD) is held annually on 5 December as a means to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources.
World Soil Day 2024
Caring for soils: measure, monitor, manage
The theme for the WSD celebration this year "Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, Manage," underscores the importance of accurate soil data and information in understanding soils characteristics and supporting informed decision-making on sustainable soil management for food security.
Did you know?
- 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.
- Over the last 70 years, the level of vitamins and nutrients in food has drastically decreased.
- 2 billion people worldwide suffer from lack of micronutrients, known as hidden hunger.
- Agricultural production will have to increase by 60% to meet the global food demand in 2050.
- Up to 58% more food could be produced through sustainable soil management.
- Up to half of our household waste could be composted to nurture our soil.