The World Soil Day campaign aims to connect people with soils and raise awareness on their critical importance in our lives. The WSD 2016 will be celebrated on the 5th of December at FAO headquarters in Rome and FAO regional offices. National events will also be organized so make sure to regularly check the map of the WSD2016 events (Soon available) and/or register your event. The theme for this year will be “Soils and pulses, a symbiosis for life”.
The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), in 2002, made a resolution proposing the 5th of December as World Soil Day to celebrate the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to human wellbeing.
- A/RES/68/232 on World Soil Day and International Year of Soils
Under the leadership of the Kingdom of Thailand and within the framework of the "Global Soil Partnership", FAO has supported the formal establishment of the World Soil Day as a global awareness raising platform. The FAO Conference, in June 2013, unanimously endorsed World Soil Day and requested official adoption at the 68th UN General Assembly. In December 2013, the 68th UN General Assembly declared 5th of December as the World Soil Day.
Since 2012, the FAO-GSP has been organizing celebration events of this important day.