5 December 2014: On World Soil Day, commemorated on 5 December, the UN launched the International Year of Soils (IYS) under the theme, ‘Soils, a foundation for family farming.’ Events to mark the Day took place in Santiago, Chile; Rome, Italy; Bangkok, Thailand; and New York, US.

Soils are a “nearly forgotten resource,” FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva declared on the eve of World Soil Day. He said healthy soils are the foundation for food, fuel, fiber and medicine and play critical roles in the carbon cycle, ecosystem functioning, water storage and filtration and drought and flood resilience. Yet, he also observed that not enough attention is paid to this “silent ally.” Graziano da Silva explained that 33% of global soil resources are experiencing degradation and “human pressures on soils are reaching critical limits, reducing and sometimes eliminating essential soil functions.” He called for active promotion of soils during 2015 and investments in sustainable soil management to achieve food security and nutrition, climate change adaptation and mitigation and sustainable development.

In an infographic, the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) highlights soils as a foundation for family farming, illustrating the percentage of soils around the world used for family farming and stressing that sustainable soil management could produce up to 58% more food. It also highlights soil’s role in biodiversity and threats posed to soils.

Events to mark the day included: a special event at UN Headquarters in New York, US organized by the Permanent Missions of Qatar and Thailand in coordination with FAO; an online film screening of ‘Symphony of the Soil;’ a World Soil day exhibition on activities and projects to develop and manage soil resources in Thailand; and a Twitter Chat under #IYS2015. The Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils’ is also expected to release its World Soil Resources Report.

The 68th session of the UN General Assembly (A/RES/68/232) declared 2015 the IYS to raise awareness of the importance of soils for food security and essential ecosystem functions. The IYS Steering Committee held its first meeting on 29 October 2014. [FAO Press Release] [World Soils Day Website] [GSP Press Release on World Soil Resources Report] [Infographic] [GSP Press Release on World Soil Day in Thailand] [IYS Events]