Regional webinar fosters more sustainable soil management

Healthy soils are the prerequisite for healthy plants and crops, and consequently for healthy food. World Soil Day, celebrated on 5 December every year, is an occasion to focus on the crucial role of soils in our food systems, and to assess the state of soil resources.

A two-day virtual webinar, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on 5 to 6 December, helped raise awareness on the importance of the protection and sustainable management of the soils. Topics were tailored to the interests of Europe and Central Asia, therefore the event served as a forum for a discussion on good approaches on the impact of highly hazardous pesticides on soil health, the reduction of pesticide use, food security, and safety, as well as the benefits of integrated pest management.

“According to recent data on soil pollution, 80 percent of agricultural soils in Europe contain pesticide residues,” said Raimund Jehle, FAO Regional Programme Leader in his opening remarks. “To address this, FAO is providing technical assistance to member countries regarding soil and pesticides matters, as we believe that healthy soils are the foundations of green agriculture, nutritious food, a better environment, and a better life for farmers and rural communities.”

As Tania Santivanez, FAO agricultural officer highlighted, the event aimed to fill the knowledge gap on the sound management of pesticides and fertilizers, and related data, as these are the main threats to soil health. She called attention to the fact that globally, one third of the soils are already degraded and the trend is likely to get worse, if we don’t act.

“This is why, in the context of multiple crises, FAO advocates for the importance of healthy soil and for the sustainable management of soil resources by addressing the growing challenges in soil management, increasing soil awareness, and encouraging societies, and policymakers to improve soil health,” Santivanez added.

Among others, results and experiences gathered in two FAO projects were shared with webinar participants, specifically on assessing the risk of diffuse agricultural soil pollution to help decrease agriculture-related soil pollution in Serbia, and on the sound management of pesticides and alternative approaches to the application of highly hazardous pesticides for sustainable agricultural production in Central Asia and Türkiye, founded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).

Additionally, the connection between soil biodiversity and climate change, and the examples of technologies with regard to pesticides and soil remediation such us microbial bioremediation of obsolete pesticides, phytoremediation and electro-kinetic remediation among others towards healthy soils in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Türkiye were on the agenda.

In parallel with the webinar, FAO launched its first global report on black soils, to be found mainly in the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and elsewhere in the globe, which are at greater risk than ever due to the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and land use change. The report highlights two main goals: the preservation of natural vegetation on black soils such as grasslands, forests and wetlands, and the adoption of sustainable soil management approaches on cropped black soils. It also puts forward tailored recommendations for farmers, national governments, research and academia, and the International Network of Black Soils.

9 December 2022, Budapest, Hungary