World Soil Day celebration & Closure of the International Year of Soils 2015

 

 

World Soil Day celebration & Closure of the International Year of Soils 2015

Statement by FAO LON Director Carla Mucavi

4 December 2015, New York

 

 

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

• FAO is delighted to be part of this important event, celebrating World Soil Day and the closing of the International Year of Soils. I must begin byrecognizing the presence of the Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives of Thailand, Italy and Qatar and thanking them for their leadership in this initiative.

 

• Soils serve as the basis for the production of food, feed, fuel, and fibre. They store and filter water, improve resilience to floods and droughts and are the home for about one-quarter of our biodiversity. However, soils are a very fragile, non-renewable natural resource, and today, one-third of global soils are degraded.

 

• Resolution 68/323 called upon FAO to facilitate the implementation of the International Day of Soils and the International Year of Soils in collaboration with governments, UN system and other stakeholders. Since the launch of the International Year of Soils, supported by FAO here in New York last year, more than 600 events in more than 70 countries have been organized toward raising awareness of the significance of soil in food security and international development. The 2030 Agenda has reflected the importance of soils in four of the seventeen SDGs, highlighting the need to address soil quality and soil pollution, combat desertification and restore degraded land and soil.  Allow me to highlight just a few other achievements from this year.

 

• Last June, at the 39^th FAO Conference, FAO member countries adopted a new World Soil Charter (WSC). The new WSC serves as an internationally-endorsed instrument, highlighting key principles and guidelines for action to fight soil degradation and promote soil conservation given current environmental realities.

 

• The Global Soil Partnership, housed at FAO, promotes sustainable soil management at all levels. This is a positive example of the ability of partnerships to promote policy implementation.

 

• The Status of the World’s Soil Resources report, to be presented by one of its lead authors Professor Dan Pennock, is another key accomplishment. The report should serve as a roadmap for achieving sustainable soil management.

 

• I would like to acknowledge the work of Thailand in its capacity as Chair of the multi-stakeholder steering committee which promoted continued engagement on this issue. We must also thank the two special Ambassadors for the International Year of Soils, Professor Claire Chenu and Professor Tekalign Mamo, who have been tireless in their advocacy for healthy soils.

 

Excellencies,

 

• With the end of the International Year of Soils upon us, we must think of constructive ways to translate our accomplishments into momentum on policy action. Proper soil governance and an increase in investment to support policy and governance initiatives will be critical. There is a great deal of work ahead of us, but given the constructive engagement we have seen this past year, we are confident that together we will be able to achieve our objectives.

 

• Allow me to reiterate the commitment of FAO to working with Member States and all stakeholders to keep soils on the agenda for action and build upon the momentum of what was a very successful International Year of Soils.