The importance of soils on World Soil Day

Land is now considered to be a finite resource under significant threat from farming, industry and development.  Land is key in all water processes. The basis of land is of course soil which provides us with our food, fodder for livestock, fuel, fibre, building materials, and much more.  It is key to all ecosystem services including the hydrological cycle, water availability, aquifer recharge and catchment management.   Soil also harbours a significant portion of global biodiversity and is a key component in the carbon cycle and the storage and sequestration of carbon dioxide. World soil day has been celebrated each year since 2002 to raise awareness and to support action to protect and enhance soil quality.  The FAO are now the key organizers of events all around the world to celebrate World Soil Day.

Here is a message from FAO Land & Water Division Director, Moujahed Achouri

For more information: http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership/world-soil-day/en/

For more information about FAO World Soil Day contact Professor Nick Gray (nfgray@tcd.ie)