Since its establishment in 1945, FAO defended a fundamental truth: soil is life, and land is its foundation. As highlighted in its first global conference, FAO recognized that “our land only holds a thin crust of soil, fragile and finite. Much is unsuitable, but what remains feeds almost everything. So how well and for how long it continues to feed us, all depends on how we use and manage our land”.

Over the past eight decades, FAO has led efforts in protecting, managing, and restoring land and soil. Key milestones include the launch of the first World Programme for the Census of Agriculture, the development of Global Agro-Ecological Zoning, the adoption of the World Soil Charter, and the establishment of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) in 2012. The Organization has also played a key role in advancing the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security, which have become global reference tools.

Today, FAO continues to provide science-based solutions, supporting countries in soil mapping, recarbonization, land restoration, and sustainable land-use planning. Through this work, FAO empowers farmers, advises governments, and protects the very foundations of our food systems.

This special video, launched during the 13th Plenary Assembly, reflects on FAO’s commitment to land and soil. The message is clear: preserving soil and land is essential to ensuring a future where no one is left behind.