The 2023 King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award has been conferred to the Soil and Fertilizer Society of Thailand (SFST) for its exceptional dedication to engaging a wide audience on the importance of soils. In 2022, World Soil Day highlighted the connection between soil, food security, and nutrition under the theme “Soils: Where food begins.” 

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Over 70 soil laboratories technicians from 40 sub-Saharan countries convened in Dakar, Senegal, for a intensive week focused of practical training focused on quality control and soil analysis. The event, titled “raising confidence in quality measurements from soil laboratories in sub-Saharan Africa” was conducted in both English and French. It was enhanced by the participation of some of the world’s leading experts on soil analysis operating in Africa and in other regions to serve as trainers. 

On 10 November 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) played host to a Turkish delegation comprising representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Türkiye Country Office and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change Türkiye at its headquarters in Rome. The purpose of this visit was to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing between FAO's Global Soil Partnership (GSP), the FAO’s Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP) and the Turkish delegation. The primary focus was to address the challenges posed by Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and exchanging experiences and best practices in managing and raising awareness about these pollutants.

24 November 2023, 13:00 – 14:30 CET | REGISTER HERE

Black soils have been prized for their rich organic matter content and the great natural fertility that results from this stored organic material. The inherent natural high fertility of black soils has led to the use of approximately one third of natural ecosystems (grasslands and forests) for crop production. However, this rich treasure is under threat. Most black soils have already lost at least half of their soil organic carbon stocks and suffer from moderate to severe erosion, nutrient imbalances, acidification, compaction and soil biodiversity loss because of land use change (from natural grasslands to cropping systems), unsustainable use and excessive use of agrochemicals. This loss is further exacerbated by climate change.

FAO through its Global Soil Partnership is committed to the conservation and sustainable management of black soils. In this regard, it established the International Network of Black Soils in March 2017, and recently published the Global Black Soils Distribution Map and the Global Status of Black Soils report, which provide for the first time a global overview of the status of the world’s black soils. They highlight the benefits, challenges and opportunities of black soils, with recommended actions to support a sustainable future for black soils. Please find detailed information of INBS on the website here: https://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/inbs/en/ .

Simultaneous interpretation will be available in العربية | 中文 | English | Français  | Русский  | Español