Audio
Audio
FAO kicks off International Year of Soils 2015
4 December 2014, Rome--- Dec 5th 2014 is the first official World Soil day to be celebrated since the United Nations General Assembly designated it so, last year. Healthy soils not only are the foundation for food, fuel, fibre and medical products, but also are essential to our ecosystems. The UN has declared 2015 the International Year of Soils. FAO estimates that a third of all soils are degraded, due to erosion, compaction, soil sealing, salinization, soil organic matter and nutrient depletion, acidification, pollution and other processes caused by unsustainable land management practices.

Ronald Vargas, a technical officer with FAO’s Land and Water Division in Rome, tells more about what the issues are and what is at stake for the soil community and all of us who depend on soils for agriculture.
7min. 50sec.
Topic(s): Agriculture & crops, Climate change, Environment/Natural resources
Produced by: Sandra Ferrari
 
Reference: 10880