In commemoration of the International Year of Soils 2015 (IYS), the Costa Rican Social Protection Board (la Junta de Protección Social) and postal service (Correos de Costa Rica) have collaborated to issue a national lottery dedicated to the Year. The drawing will take place on Sunday, 19 July, with a jackpot of 240 million colones and numerous other prizes. The Costa Rican Association of Soils Science (la Asociación Costarricense de la Ciencia del Suelo - ACCS), a key partner in the commemoration, is giving away lottery tickets to educational and state institutions involved in soils conservation as a way to raise awareness on the importance of soils. The postal service has also developed a postmark for IYS, which will be used on all correspondence sent in the days leading up to the lottery draw.

Healthy soils are extremely important in Costa Rica, which despite being small, has a diverse climate and topography. The country’s large variability of soil types also allows for incredible diversity in agricultural production, but requires strict soil management practices.

"The steep slopes and high rainfall are natural factors that increase soil erosion. But if these factors come together with poor soil management—such as bare land without soil coverage, inadequate preparation for planting or poor layout of roads—it will result in a disastrous combination for this important resource. Other problems, such as compaction by grazing and mechanization, join the list of the many causes of soil degradation in Costa Rica," said Floria Bertsch, President of the ACCS.