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1st Afro-Mediterranean Soils Conference: “Constraints and Potentialities for Durable Management”

165 participants from 18 countries met in Marrakesh from 18-19 December 2015 to discuss the critical condition of soils, especially in Africa.
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Young student from Nicaragua wins FAO video contest

Eduardo Rafael Martínez Bendaña was awarded first prize for his documentary, " Una Amiga de la Naturaleza” (A Friend of Nature)
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FAO Representation in Iran runs a nationwide media campaign to celebrate World Soil Day and the closure of the International Year of Soils

Media campaign to raise awareness and promote sustainable soil and land management in the country
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Agriculture can’t remain the same, says FAO official

At a critical juncture when population is increasing and there are more mouths to feed, it is important that better practices are adopted with an agro-ecological approach.
Publication
Status of the World's Soil Resources
Infographic
Soils store and filter water
Video
The International Year of Soils 2015 and beyond

 

  • "We must manage soils sustainably. There are many ways to do this. Crop diversification which is used by most of the world’s family farmers is one of them: this gives time for important nutrients to regenerate." José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-General
  • "The multiple roles of soils often go unnoticed. Soils don’t have a voice, and few people speak out for them. They are our silent ally in food production." José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-General
  • "We now have adequate platforms to raise awareness on the importance of healthy soils and to advocate for sustainable soil management. Let us use them." José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-General
  • "We need healthy soils to achieve our food security and nutrition goals, to fight climate change and to ensure overall sustainable development. You can count on FAO’s commitment and active participation in this effort." José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-General
  • "We speak a lot of the importance of sustainable food systems for healthy lives. Well, it starts with soils." José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-General
  • "Soils also host at least one quarter of the world’s biodiversity. They are key in the carbon cycle. They help us to mitigate and adapt to climate change. They play a role in water management and in improving resilience to floods and droughts." José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-General
  • "Soils constitute the foundation of vegetation and agriculture. Forests need it to grow. We need it for food, feed, fiber, fuel and much more." José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-General
After the International Year of Soils, we won't take soils for granted anymore
What have you learned this year?
07/12/2015
World Soil Day celebrated in Ethiopia
This year's WSD theme was “Soils, a solid ground for life”
05/12/2015
Soils are endangered, but the degradation can be rolled back
Population growth, industrialization and climate change threaten soil health
04/12/2015
Official closure of the 2015 International Year of Soils
The official closure of the 2015 International Year of Soils (IYS) will take place at FAO Headquarters on 4 December from 12:30 to 14:00 pm (CET).
30/11/2015