World Soil Day celebration “Stop soil erosion, Save our future ”

5 December 2019 (13:00 - 14:00)

Sheikh Zayed Centre, FAO HQ | Rome, Italy

Soils are fundamental to life on Earth. Their protection is of utmost importance to ensure the future

of food. But soil erosion is putting our productive land in danger by removing the highly fertile

topsoil. Soil erosion – the number one threat to the Planet’s soils - literally washes our topsoil away,

down streams, rivers, into lakes and blows soil particles across oceans. While it occurs naturally

everywhere, unsustainable human activities significantly increase natural rates. Since 95% of the

food comes from soils, erosion mitigation is critical for a sustainable and food secure world.

During the celebration, RECSOIL: Recarbonization of Global Soils, a sustainable and cost-effective

answer to climate change, will be officially launched. The Glinka World Soil Prize and King Bhumibol

WSD Award will be awarded for the efforts towards the promotion of sustainable soil management

and the most outstanding event organized for WSD 2018.

13:00 - 13:05 Opening by Ms Maria Helena Semedo, FAO’s Deputy Director-General for Climate and

Natural resources

13:05 - 13:15 Opening remarks by H.E. Victor Vasiliev, Permanent Representative of the Russian

Federation to FAO and H.E. Thanawat Tiensin, Chair of the CFS and Permanent

Representative of the Kingdom of Thailand to FAO

13:15 - 13:25 Delivery of the Award of the Glinka World Soil Prize to Professor Xu Minggang by Ms

Maria Helena Semedo and H.E. Victor Vasiliev

13:25 - 13:40 Keynote address by Prof. Xu Minggang, the Laureate of the Glinka World Soil Prize

2019

13:40 - 13:45 “Stop soil erosion, save our future” (video) and launch of the Soil loss Atlas of Malawi

13:45 - 13:55 Launch of “RECSOIL: Recarbonization of global soils”, Mr Eduardo Mansur, Director

Land and Water division, FAO

13:55 - 14:00 King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award 2019 (video)

14:00 - 14:10 Closure of the event with the Kid’s chorus of Piazza Vittorio

Moderator: Ms Isabelle Verbeke, Global Soil Partnership, FAO

Light Thai refreshments will be kindly offered by the Kingdom of Thailand from 12:30 to 13:00

Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish

Agenda