World Soil Day 2024 | Caring for soils: measure, monitor, manage
World Soil Day is observed annually on December 5 to focus attention on the importance of healthy soils and advocating for the sustainable management of soil resources. The theme for this year’s World Soil Day is "Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, Manage." It 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.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – within the framework of the Global Soil Partnership – received the mandate by the UN General Assembly in 2014 to facilitate implementation of the World Soil Day.
Did you know?
95% of our food comes from soils.
33% of soils are degraded.
It can take as many as 1,000 years to produce just .79 to 1.18 inch 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.
In the past 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 need to increase by 60% to meet the global food demand in 2050.
Up to 58% more food could be produced through sustainable soil management.
Source: FAO
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