Hailing soil biodiversity in the 2020 World Soil Day
Soils are one of the main global reservoirs of biodiversity and the source of 95 percent of our food. Without maintaining soil health and biodiversity, we cannot end hunger.
In 2014, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly designated 5 December as World Soil Day. The day marks the birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great of Thailand, and also serves as an occasion to pay tribute to him and his lifelong work on sustainable soil management.
On 7 December, the Permanent Missions of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Kingdom of Lesotho to the UN, together with the Liaison Offices of FAO and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in New York, co-sponsored a virtual event to celebrate World Soil Day 2020 under the theme "Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity".
The Permanent Representative of Thailand to the UN, Ambassador Vitavas Srivihok, set the scene by stating that “This celebration is a once-a-year chance for us to consciously reflect, recognize and appreciate soil and its implications to the lives and well-being of both the people and the planet.”
The President of the UN Economic and Social Council, Ambassador Munir Akram, underscored the need to advocate for soil biodiversity to be treated at the same level of above-ground biodiversity. “This invisible life beneath our feet is responsible of many important processes above and below ground,” he said. He went on to ensure that ECOSOC, under the Pakistani Presidency, is committed to accelerating the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals and Climate goals, through including keeping soil biodiversity via concerted global action on land use and land management.
“The loss of soil biodiversity has been identified as one of the main global soil threats, as it puts our agri-food systems and ecosystems in danger, thereby impeding the sustainable development of all countries, and especially the developing ones,” noted the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed, before going on to make a call to action for the UN community.
These thoughts were echoed by FAO Deputy Director-General, Maria Helena Semedo, who concluded the opening session of the event by remarking that “If we are to achieve the 2030 Agenda, we must ensure that preventing soil biodiversity loss and fostering its sustainable management through instruments such as the Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management become a global priority.”
Digging deeper
The following section of the event showcased experiences from those who are fighting for sustainable soil management on the ground.
Yuang Khieonin, a Volunteer Soil Doctor from the Nonthaburi Province in Thailand, described how he has been utilizing technical knowledge to support local farmers in achieving self-sufficiency and sustainability.
The Scientific Chair of Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative and Professor of Soil Biodiversity in the Colorado State University, Diana Wall, brought the perspective of academia while calling for the inclusion of soil biodiversity in sustainable development policies. “Our livelihoods are based on soil biodiversity: the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the nutrients in our food,” she explained.
Representing civil society, the Secretary General of World Farmers’ Organisation, Arianna Giuliodori, highlighted the key role that farmers play in soil management: “Investing in soil health is the first asset for sustainable food systems, and farmers are key actors driving this transition, given the right information, training, innovation and financial support.”
“We care for our soil when we make environmentally safe decisions,” affirmed Youth Representative, Dinesh Panday, underlining the interlinkages between healthy soils and environmental sustainability.
The Secretary of the Global Soil Partnership, Ronald Vargas, referred to finding from the recently-published State of Knowledge of Soil Biodiversity report, which is the result of an inclusive process involving more than 300 scientists from around the world. “Though soil biodiversity is in great danger, it can provide a nature-based solution to most of our global challenges,” noted Vargas.
The first UN stamp sheet for World Soil Day
A special moment in the event came when the Under-Secretary-General of the UN Department of Operational Support, Atul Khare, officiated the launch of a stamp sheet of ten denominated stamps in commemoration of World Soil Day. “The background image of the stamp sheet depicts a rice terrace in a village of Thailand, as an example of a locally-driven approach to pursue economic growth in tandem with sustainable use and management of precious soil resources,” explained Khare.
More than 200 participants from across the globe participated in the event, marking this first-ever virtual observance with a resounding success. During the vivid Q&A session, several attendees, including notable the Deputy Director of UNCCD’s Liaison Office in New York, Nandhini Krishna, intervened from the floor, presenting panelists with the opportunity to revert on questions related to sustainable soil management, as well as on the mainstreaming of cross-agency work on soil health.
The Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Lesotho to the UN, Ambassador Nkopane Raseeng Monyane, closed the event by underlining the importance of healthy soils for agricultural development and food security, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It is from our natural capital that we will build back better; and our natural capital is anchored in our soils,” he affirmed.
The event was moderator by the Director of the UNCCD Liaison Office in New York, Melchiade Bukuru.