World Soil Day 2022: Every year on December 5, the United Nations observes World Soil Day to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems by addressing soil management challenges.
World Soil Day 2022’s theme for the commemoration of this day is “soils: where food begins.” The International Union of Soil Sciences proposed establishing an international day to celebrate soil in 2002. However, nearly a decade later, the UN General Assembly officially adopted the proposal, and the first official World Soil Day was observed in 2014.
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The UN says that a tablespoon of soil contains more living organisms than all the people on Earth, shedding light on the importance of soil management. Soil is a world in and of itself, containing minerals, organic components, and organisms that must be protected from degradation in order to sustain nutrient-rich plant life on Earth.
This World Soil Day, we celebrate healthy soils and the healthy food they provide. And we celebrate farmers who look after soil by using a regenerative approach to producing food and managing landscapes. pic.twitter.com/ZgKzs3vnSe
— Soils For Life (@SoilsforLife) December 5, 2022
According to the UN, approximately 33% of soils are already degraded. As our agricultural systems are being strained by an increasing population, it is critical to ensure soil replenishment after each harvest in order to ensure global food security, as soils provide 95 percent of all food.
World Soil Day 2022: Theme, history, significance and all you need to know
The date of December 5 was chosen because it is the birthday of Thailand’s King, H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who initially sanctioned the event. When the monarch died in 2016, after ruling for seven decades, World Soil Day was established in his honour and in recognition of his contributions to the cause.
The world population reached 8 billion last month, and the UN estimates that agricultural production will need to increase by 60% by 2050 to meet global food demand. Soil resources must be managed sustainably because 15 of the 18 naturally occurring chemicals required by plants are provided by soils.
World Soil Day 2022: Significance
The significance of World Soil Day is self-evident. It is, as previously stated, the beginning of life on Earth (ground). It provides food and water to plants, which in turn sustain the human population as well as other life forms on the planet.
However, the soil is severely polluted as a result of the excessive use of fertilizers. Soil degradation and erosion have been caused by floods, construction, and mining. The consequences can be seen all over the world, where hunger has become the leading cause of death.