The 21st World Congress of Soil Science (WCSS) will take place next 12 – 17 August 2018 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with the theme “SOIL SCIENCE: Beyond food and fuel”. Traditionally held every four years since 1927 under the guidance of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), this year WSCC is hosted by the IUSS, the Latin American Soil Science Society (SLCS) and the Brazilian Soil Science Society (SBCS) with the support of FAO and the Global Soil Partnership.

FAO is well aware that, in the coming decades, soil science will continue to be at the edge of global discussions on food production and environmental conservation, also in addition to being essential and strategic for issues such as water quality, combatting poverty and the production of renewable energy. Indeed, soil health and quality is connected with all the subjects addressed in the 21st WSCC main theme-related questions: How to feed a hungry planet? How to fuel an energy-hungry planet? How to quench a thirsty planet? How to clean up our polluted planet? How to reach a balance between protection of biodiversity and sustainable land management for agriculture production?

The Global Soil Partnership will attend the meeting and partecipate in the organization with two key Innovation Technical Symposia.