World Soil Day 2024: Protecting Soils For Food Security And Climate Resilience

Today is World Soil Day. Our planet’s survival depends on its precious link with soil. Over 95% of our food comes from soils. But there’s danger for this life sustaining resource in the form of climate change and human activity, which both work to degrade soils. Erosion disrupts the natural balance, reducing water penetration and availability for all forms of life, decreasing the level of vitamins and nutrients in food. The United Nations urges sustainable soil management practices such as minimum tillage, crop rotation, and organic matter addition, among others. This, to preserve soil biodiversity, improve fertility, and contribute to carbon restoration, which is crucial to fight against climate change. World Soil Day 2024 under the theme of "Caring For Soils: Measure, Monitor, And Manage," underscores the importance of understanding the characteristics of soils for supporting informed decision-making on sustainable soil management for food security.