18 September 2015: As part of events marking the International Year of Soils (IYS) 2015, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has launched a video contest on the theme ‘Farmers Sustainable Soil Management Practices for Boosting Healthy Soils.’ The deadline for submissions is 12 October 2015.

The video contest aims to draw attention to land degradation as a growing global problem, with an estimated 33% of global soil being “moderately to highly degraded,” and an area around the size of Costa Rica “… lost every year due to deforestation, unsustainable land use and management practices, overgrazing and climate change.”

The contest will provide an opportunity for farmers, researchers, agricultural services providers and other organizations working directly with farmers to share locally developed solutions to improve soil health and to document and share these practices through FAO’s Technology and Practice for Small Agricultural Producers (TECA) knowledge platform.

The three winning videos will receive a cash award and will be promoted on social media and through FAO partners’ channels. [FAO Announcement] [FAO-TECA Knowledge Platform] [IYS 2015 Website]