(AGENPARL) – Thu 04 December 2025 World Soil Day 2025: Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities
5 December 2025 | 10:00 | FAO headquarters (Sheikh Zayed Centre), Rome
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will mark World Soil Day 2025 (WSD) with an official global celebration on 5 December at 10:00 at FAO Headquarters in Rome.
The event will be opened by FAO Director-General QU Dongyu.
WSD is celebrated annually on 5 December to raise global awareness of the vital role soils play in supporting food security, ecosystem health and sustainable development. Endorsed by FAO and the United Nations General Assembly, WSD became an official UN day in 2014 under the leadership of the Kingdom of Thailand. Since then, FAO has facilitated its implementation as a global platform for action and advocacy through the Global Soil Partnership (GSP).
This year’s theme, “Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities”, highlights the essential role soils play not only in rural landscapes but also in urban environments – from regulating temperature and water, to improving air quality and supporting green spaces. The event will explore how healthy soils contribute to climate resilience, biodiversity, human well-being and sustainable urban development, drawing on FAO’s One Health approach and its expanding Green Cities Initiative, which now supports more than 300 cities worldwide.
As part of the celebration, FAO will confer two major international awards that recognize excellence in advancing sustainable soil management and raising global awareness:
The Glinka World Soil Prize, established with the support of the Russian Federation, honours individuals or organizations making outstanding and measurable contributions to soil health and sustainable soil management at global, regional or national levels.
The King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award, sponsored by the Kingdom of Thailand, recognizes exceptional efforts in promoting World Soil Day through awareness-raising, campaigns, education or impactful advocacy initiatives.
Both awards aim to inspire greater action to protect and restore soils worldwide, in line with FAO’s work through the Global Soil Partnership, the Recarbonization of Global Agricultural Soils (RECSOIL) Initiative, the Global Soil Doctors Programme, and the SoilFER programme.
RESOURCES
* World Soil Day 2025
* Campaign material
* Global Soil Partnership
* Recarbonization of Global Agricultural Soils
* Global Soil Doctors Programme
* King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award
* Glinka World Soil Prize
* The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture 2025 (SOLAW 2025)
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