Soils, where food begins: Tajikistan marks World Soil Day 2022

World Soil Day (WSD) is annually held on 5 December to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and advocating for the sustainable management of soil resources. This year, WSD runs under the slogan "Soils, Where Food Begins" to raise awareness of the risks associated with soil nutrient imbalance and soil fertility loss. It highlights the role of soil in producing sufficient, safe, and more nourishing food.

Soils are paramount in our daily lives, providing key ecosystem services that are often forgotten and taken for granted. Food security is a global goal that requires consideration of multiple factors, where soil fertility is a fundamental building block for agricultural production systems.

Healthy soils lay the foundations of agricultural development, healthy and nutritious food production, and essential ecosystem services, which are crucial to our life as well as a sustainable future. We rely on soils for 95 percent of the food we consume. In fact, 33 percent of the Earth's soils are already degraded, and over 90 percent could become degraded by 2050. Soil degradation puts the ecosystems, climate and food security in great jeopardy.

The symposium raised awareness of the importance of soil quality for human wellbeing, food security and ecosystems. It united the relevant stakeholders who play a crucial role in soil management, including scientists, students, government representatives, and international organisations who work towards soil conservation. 

The event gathered representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Soil Management, Committee of Environmental Protection, young scientists, public and international organisations, academics, and farmers, with the invited local and international experts in sustainable soil management. During the first day, participants and the invited speakers and experts shared their experiences, research works and projects in soil conservation. The practical part included demonstrating chemical soil analysis and soil sampling methods in the laboratory and field.

"FAO has taken the lead in promoting sustainable soil management through its global soil partnership. With the increasing challenges, we face, maintaining healthy soils will secure better yields, ensuring better production and livelihood. As the main theme of the year highlights, the healthy soils are the better environment for people and nature," said Oleg Guchgeldiyev, FAO Representative in Tajikistan. "Therefore, we need to support the healthy soil as the prerequisite for our wellbeing," he added.

In Tajikistan, with seven percent of the land being suitable for agriculture, soil depletion represents a serious threat to water resources and jeopardises the state of food security. Considering the rapidly changing climate, soil degradation has never been more urgent, requiring prompt actions.

"We sincerely appreciate the FAO UN, GIZ and EU for their significant contribution and support in soil conservation and restoration in Tajikistan. Soil has all the nutrients and minerals needed for crops to grow. Unfortunately, we are still experiencing unsustainable soil practices that lead to erosion, degradation and draughts. It is crucial to work all together to preserve soil health for a common livelihood ", said Nosirzoda Jabbor, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Tajikistan.

The symposium served as a platform for exchanging knowledge and experience, improving collaboration among all the key parties, learning about the best local and global practices to preserve soil health and applying sustainable approaches in soil management. Healthy soils constitute the legacy of our future. It is time to scale up sustainable soil practices and increase investment in sustainable soil management.