Embracing the Earth’s Pulse
The Year in Soil: A Look Back at 2024
Ah Soil, Yes, that stuff under your feet that usually gets stuck in your shoes (and occasionally in your carpet). This Unsung hero quietly nurtures our crops, sequesters carbon, and sustains biodiversity—while barely asking for credit. Yet, in 2024, SOIL finally had its red-carpet moment from global summits to groundbreaking declarations, this year was a journey through triumphs, challenges, and takeaways and a few dirty (pun intended) truths about the ground beneath our feet. Soil isn’t just dirt anymore—it’s destiny.
January to December: Soil Takes Center Stage
It started quietly enough. A few murmurs about Soil Health in January turned into a roar by December. By mid-year, it felt like soil had been officially knighted as the unsung hero of sustainable development. Here's why:
May: Nairobi Gets Dirty (In a Good Way)
The Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit
https://agra.org/news/key-highlights-from-day-2-of-the-africa-fertilizer-and-soil-health-summit/
Held in May in Nairobi, this summit wasn’t just another gabfest. African leaders rolled up their sleeves, and took soil discussions to new heights. The result? The Nairobi Declaration, a bold 10-year plan to rejuvenate soil health across the continent.
-
Big Idea: By 2034, 70% of Africa’s smallholder farmers will have access to targeted soil health recommendations. Ambitious? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely.
-
Fun Fact: Leaders also committed to tripling fertilizer production. Let’s hope they remember the small print about balancing synthetic inputs with organic options—because the planet’s not a fan of fertilizer runoff.
June–August: Soil Meets Climate Action
https://www.fao.org/events/detail/soil-water-forum-2024/en
The heat on climate conversations, and soil refused to sit on the sidelines. At various forums, including the International Soil and Water Forum, the narrative shifted from “soil degradation” to “soil as a climate solution.”
Did you know? Restoring just 2% of degraded soils globally could sequester 1.5 billion tons of carbon annually. Suddenly, soil wasn’t just the underdog; it was a full-blown climate change MVP.
Fun Fact: “Soil sequestration” was searched on Google more in July than “Taylor Swift tickets.”
November: Soil Takes the World Stage in New Delhi
https://www.iuss.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Final-Brochure-Global-Soils-Conference-2024.pdf
If May was Africa’s moment, November belonged to New Delhi. The Global Soils Conference 2024 brought together soil geeks, corporate honchos, and policymakers under one roof to hash out a bold, global strategy for sustainable soil management.
Delegates explored everything from regenerative agriculture to precision farming. A recurring theme was the call for “data-driven dirt.” (Yes, data for soil health is now a thing.)
Spoiler alert: they're planning on a soil "health passport" system for farmers. Imagine soil with its own ID—fascinating, right?
The conference tackled two of the biggest soil conundrums:
-
How to feed 10 billion people without turning Earth into a barren wasteland.
-
How soil can help us fight climate change by locking away carbon.
The Big Reveal: The “New Delhi Soil Accord” called on nations to allocate 2% of GDP to soil restoration projects. The logic? Healthier soils mean healthier economies.
December: World Soil Day Brings the Year Full Circle
December 5th, World Soil Day, was the ultimate mic drop moment. This year’s theme—"Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, manage"—reminded everyone that healthy soils are essential for biodiversity, climate action, and feeding a growing global population.
Across continents, celebrations ranged from tree-planting drives to soil testing camps. Kids drew pictures of “superhero soil,” proving that even the youngest among us get it: No soil, no life.
What’s Next? During the event, FAO announced a global campaign to equip 10 million farmers with free soil health monitoring kits by 2026. A win for farmers, ecosystems, and climate resilience!
What We Learned This Year
-
Soil is the Root of Everything: Literally. Healthy soil underpins sustainable agriculture, food security, and even climate resilience. Every conference this year hammered home this simple truth: without healthy soil, we’re toast (and not the good, buttery kind).
-
Collaboration is Key: Whether it’s governments working hand in hand with farmers or scientists swapping data across borders, collaboration has proven to be the secret sauce for soil-saving strategies.
-
Awareness is Everything: Most people don’t give dirt a second thought. But thanks to initiatives like World Soil Day, Save Soil the global movement and the Allure of Soil that are making soil trendy, catching on to the fact that the ground beneath their feet is a living, breathing ecosystem and showed that people care—when they understand why they should.
Of course, not everything was rosy. Here are the grimy bits:
-
Degradation Despair: Over 65% of Africa’s arable land remains degraded, costing the continent $4 billion annually in nutrient loss.
-
Climate Chaos: Droughts, floods, and extreme heat continue to batter soils worldwide, eroding their ability to support life.
-
Access Inequality: Smallholder farmers—who feed a third of the world—still struggle to access the fertilizers and technologies they need.
Recommendations for 2025 and Beyond
-
Go Regenerative: Let’s make “regenerative agriculture” more than a buzzword. Practices like crop rotation, cover cropping, and minimal tillage can turn soil into a carbon-storing powerhouse.
-
Policy, Policy, Policy: Governments must roll up their sleeves and fund soil health research, incentivize sustainable farming, and develop policies that go beyond short-term fixes.
-
Farmer Education: Farmers are the soil’s first responders. Equipping them with knowledge and tools will be key to any long-term soil strategy.
-
Educate the Masses
-
Who knew soil could be so fascinating? Let’s keep the momentum going with education campaigns and community programs.
-
Increase Investments: Governments must pour money into soil R&D— because soil’s ROI (return on investment) is infinite.
-
Foster Global Collaboration: Soil doesn’t respect borders. Neither should our efforts to protect it. More summits, more partnerships, and more shared solutions are the way forward. Think of it as the United Nations for dirt.
-
Celebrate Soil Year-Round: Why wait for World Soil Day when every day is soil day?
Glad you asked! Start small. Compost your kitchen scraps. Support local farmers. Read up on regenerative agriculture. Share this blog *hint, hint*. Every little bit helps.
As we head into 2025, the goal is simple: let’s remember that taking care of our soil isn’t just about saving dirt; it’s about saving ourselves.
So here’s to soil—messy, miraculous, and utterly essential. Let’s keep it healthy, keep it thriving, and most importantly, keep talking about it.
So, What Can You Do?
A Look Back at 2024
The Year in Soil
Ah Soil, Yes, that stuff under your feet that usually gets stuck in your shoes (and occasionally in your carpet). This Unsung hero quietly nurtures our crops, sequesters carbon, and sustains biodiversity—while barely asking for credit. Yet, in 2024, SOIL finally had its red-carpet moment from global summits to groundbreaking declarations, this year was a journey through triumphs, challenges, and takeaways and a few dirty (pun intended) truths about the ground beneath our feet. Soil isn’t just dirt anymore—it’s destiny.
January to December
Soil Takes Center Stage
It started quietly enough. A few murmurs about Soil Health in January turned into a roar by December. By mid-year, it felt like soil had been officially knighted as the unsung hero of sustainable development. Here's why:
May: Nairobi Gets Dirty (In a Good Way)
The Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit
Held in May in Nairobi, this summit wasn’t just another gabfest. African leaders rolled up their sleeves, and took soil discussions to new heights. The result? The Nairobi Declaration, a bold 10-year plan to rejuvenate soil health across the continent.
-
Big Idea: By 2034, 70% of Africa’s smallholder farmers will have access to targeted soil health recommendations. Ambitious? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely.
Fun Fact: Leaders also committed to tripling fertilizer production. Let’s hope they remember the small print about balancing synthetic inputs with organic options—because the planet’s not a fan of fertilizer runoff.
November: Soil Takes the World Stage in New Delhi
If May was Africa’s moment, November belonged to New Delhi. The Global Soils Conference 2024 brought together soil geeks, corporate honchos, and policymakers under one roof to hash out a bold, global strategy for sustainable soil management.
Delegates explored everything from regenerative agriculture to precision farming. A recurring theme was the call for “data-driven dirt.” (Yes, data for soil health is now a thing.)
Spoiler alert: they're planning on a soil "health passport" system for farmers. Imagine soil with its own ID—fascinating, right?
The conference tackled two of the biggest soil conundrums:
-
How to feed 10 billion people without turning Earth into a barren wasteland.
-
How soil can help us fight climate change by locking away carbon.
The Big Reveal: The “New Delhi Soil Accord” called on nations to allocate 2% of GDP to soil restoration projects. The logic? Healthier soils mean healthier economies.
December: World Soil Day Brings the Year Full Circle
December 5th, World Soil Day, was the ultimate mic drop moment. This year’s theme—"Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, manage"—reminded everyone that healthy soils are essential for biodiversity, climate action, and feeding a growing global population.
Across continents, celebrations ranged from tree-planting drives to soil testing camps. Kids drew pictures of “superhero soil,” proving that even the youngest among us get it: No soil, no life.
What’s Next? During the event, FAO announced a global campaign to equip 10 million farmers with free soil health monitoring kits by 2026. A win for farmers, ecosystems, and climate resilience!
What We Learned This Year
-
Soil is the Root of Everything: Literally. Healthy soil underpins sustainable agriculture, food security, and even climate resilience. Every conference this year hammered home this simple truth: without healthy soil, we’re toast (and not the good, buttery kind).
-
Collaboration is Key: Whether it’s governments working hand in hand with farmers or scientists swapping data across borders, collaboration has proven to be the secret sauce for soil-saving strategies.
-
Awareness is Everything: Most people don’t give dirt a second thought. But thanks to initiatives like World Soil Day, Save Soil the global movement and the Allure of Soil that are making soil trendy, catching on to the fact that the ground beneath their feet is a living, breathing ecosystem and showed that people care—when they understand why they should.
Of course, not everything was rosy. Here are the grimy bits:
-
Degradation Despair: Over 65% of Africa’s arable land remains degraded, costing the continent $4 billion annually in nutrient loss.
-
Climate Chaos: Droughts, floods, and extreme heat continue to batter soils worldwide, eroding their ability to support life.
-
Access Inequality: Smallholder farmers—who feed a third of the world—still struggle to access the fertilizers and technologies they need.
So, What Can You Do?
Glad you asked! Start small. Compost your kitchen scraps. Support local farmers. Read up on regenerative agriculture. Share this blog (hint, hint). Every little bit helps.
In 2025, the goal is simple: let’s remember that taking care of our soil isn’t just about saving dirt; it’s about saving ourselves.
So here’s to soil—messy, miraculous, and utterly essential. Let’s keep it healthy, keep it thriving, and most importantly, keep talking about it.
Recommendations for 2025 and Beyond
-
Go Regenerative: Let’s make “regenerative agriculture” more than a buzzword. Practices like crop rotation, cover cropping, and minimal tillage can turn soil into a carbon-storing powerhouse.
-
Policy, Policy, Policy: Governments must roll up their sleeves and fund soil health research, incentivize sustainable farming, and develop policies that go beyond short-term fixes.
-
Farmer Education: Farmers are the soil’s first responders. Equipping them with knowledge and tools will be key to any long-term soil strategy.
-
Educate the Masses: Who knew soil could be so fascinating? Let’s keep the momentum going with education campaigns and community programs.
-
Increase Investments: Governments must pour money into soil R&D— because soil’s ROI (return on investment) is infinite.
-
Foster Global Collaboration: Soil doesn’t respect borders. Neither should our efforts to protect it. More summits, more partnerships, and more shared solutions are the way forward. Think of it as the United Nations for dirt.
-
Celebrate Soil Year-Round: Why wait for World Soil Day when every day is soil day?
June–August: Soil Meets Climate Action
The heat on climate conversations, and soil refused to sit on the sidelines. At various forums, including the International Soil and Water Forum, the narrative shifted from “soil degradation” to “soil as a climate solution.”
Did you know? Restoring just 2% of degraded soils globally could sequester 1.5 billion tons of carbon annually. Suddenly, soil wasn’t just the underdog; it was a full-blown climate change MVP.
“Soil sequestration” was searched on Google more in July than “Taylor Swift tickets.”
