The Soil Association celebrates World Soil Day with new partnership

05 December 2012

The Soil Association is partnering with the ‘Save Our Soils’ campaign as part of celebrations for World Soil Day (5th December 2012).

The Save Our Soils campaign aims to raise consumer awareness about the importance of soil for our health, food, security and climate, encouraging consumers to become urban farmers and buy organic food. A number of European partners and retailers have come on board to spread campaign messages.

Speaking about the partnership, Tom MacMillan, Innovation Director at the Soil Association said; “The partnership with the Save Our Soils campaign is exciting as we are working towards the same goal - raising awareness of the importance of our soil and its relationship with food production, which is vital for our future.”

The world is facing critical challenges regarding the state of our soils. The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), conducted by over 400 scientists from across the world concluded that 1.9 billion hectares of soil is degraded around the world.

Earlier this year a United Nations’ Environment Programme (UNEP) report stated that global warming will get worse as agricultural methods accelerate the rate of soil erosion, which depletes the amount of carbon the soil is able to store. It highlights assessments indicating that certain types of intensive agriculture are triggering soil erosion rates some 100 times greater than the rates at which nature can form soil in the first place.

ENDS

For press enquiries contact the Soil Association press office:
Natasha Collins-Daniel, Press Office Manager – 0117 914 2448 / 07827 925380
Ncollins-daniel@soilassociation.org

Notes to Editors:

The Save Our Soils campaign was initiated by Nature & More, as a partner in FAO's Global Soil Partnership. The campaign will run from December 2012 until December of 2017, the International Year of Soils. 

World Soil Day was first launched by the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) in 2002. The day celebrates the importance of soil as a key component of the natural system and its vital contribution to food, water and energy security. It is celebrated particularly by the global community of 60,000 soil scientists.

IAASTD: The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (2008) Synthesis report

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Year Book 2012, UN