World Soil Day: FAO highlights the threat of soil salinization to global food security

Under the theme “Halt Soil Salinization, Boost Soil Productivity”, FAO marked the 5th of December World Soil Day, highlighting the threat posed by soil salinization to global food security and raising concerns as many countries still lack the adequate capacity for soil analysis. 

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu stated that “Soil is the foundation of agriculture and the world’s farmers depend on soil to produce about 95% of the food we eat”. “Yet, our soils are at risk,” he stressed in remarks ahead of the December 5 event. 

The Director-General underlined the importance of generating reliable soil data as he announced the official launch of the Global Soil Laboratory Assessment Report. A joint effort by 241 laboratories in 142 countries, it is led by FAO’s Global Soil Partnership (GSP) and its Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN) composed of more than 760 laboratories worldwide. 

The European Union’s (EU) recent adoption of a new Soil Strategy is a positive example, setting concrete and ambitious targets to improve soil health within and outside the Union, the FAO Director-General noted.  

In her intervention at the event, Ambassador Alexandra Valkenburg, Permanent Representative of the European Union to FAO, highlighted specific initiatives such as the Horizon Europe Mission: Soil Deal for Europe as crucial in making EU soils healthy again. The Ambassador reaffirmed the EU’s political and financial support to the Global Soil Partnership and the establishment of the Global Soil Biodiversity Observatory, led by FAO, in promoting soil management worldwide. 

FAO’s work on soils 

Collecting soil data and building sufficient capacity in the soil laboratories of FAO Member countries is essential to manage soil-affected land resources and pave the foundation towards digital agriculture in the future.  

 You can find out more on the FAO’s work on soils here.