ROME―The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) last week marked World Soil Day 2025 with a global celebration in Rome under the theme “Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities.”
The day underscores the crucial role that soil health plays not only in agriculture but also in shaping more resilient, greener and healthier urban environments.
With two-thirds of the world’s population projected to live in cities by 2050, urban soils are under increasing pressure from sealing, pollution and unplanned expansion.
These trends threaten the soil’s ability to produce food, regulate temperature, filter water, store carbon and support biodiversity. Rapid urban growth is also consuming fertile peri-urban croplands―some nearly twice as productive as the global average―placing additional strain on agrifood systems.
This year’s World Soil Day carries special significance as it coincides with FAO’s 80th anniversary―eight decades of partnership, innovation and action for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, opening the ceremony, emphasized that soil health is fundamental for the future of cities and the well-being of the people who live in them.
“It is a moment to reflect and to look ahead to a future in which healthy soils are the foundation of efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, healthier people, greener cities and a more prosperous planet,” the Director-General said.
“The responsibility of each of us is clear: protect soils, restore soils and build cities that can thrive for future generations,” he added.
Princess Basma Bint Ali of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, FAO Goodwill Ambassador for Near East and North Africa, also addressed the ceremony, underscoring the profound connection between people and the soil.
She stressed that soil is the basis of life itself―a living foundation that sustains ecosystems, nourishes communities and even allows trees to communicate and thrive.
Because much of its richness is hidden from sight, she noted, soils are too often overlooked, even though protecting and restoring them is a collective responsibility essential to the future of humanity and the planet. FAO News
The event also featured the participation of Narumol Sanguanvong, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand, as well as Igor Golubovskiy, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to FAO.
As part of the global celebration, FAO awarded two of the world’s most prestigious international soil prizes:
The Glinka World Soil Prize 2025 was awarded to Professor Ganlin Zhang of the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, recognizing his scientific leadership and global contributions to sustainable soil management and soil information systems.
The King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award 2025 was presented to the French Soil Science Society for its outstanding World Soil Day campaign 2024, which engaged thousands of citizens, schools and institutions across France to raise public awareness on soil protection.
Supported respectively by the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Thailand, these awards honor innovation, advocacy and excellence in promoting sustainable soil management worldwide.
Endorsed by the UN General Assembly and facilitated by FAO and its Global Soil Partnership, World Soil Day has become a global movement promoting sustainable soil management and raising public awareness across governments, academia, civil society and communities.
Urban soils―long overlooked―are increasingly recognized as essential components of sustainable, green cities. They produce food, support green spaces that filter water, buffer floods, cool urban temperatures, store carbon and enhance public health and quality of life.
Emerging evidence also shows that contact with biodiverse and healthy soils help regulate the human immune system. FAO News
