Event World Day
World Soil Day 2025
World Soil Day (WSD) is held annually on 5 December as a means to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources. The establishment of an international day to celebrate soil was recommended by the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) in 2002. After being endorsed at the FAO Conference in 2013, World Soil Day was formally recognized by the UN General Assembly.
About World Soil Day
World Soil Day (WSD) is held annually on 5 December as a means to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources. The establishment of an international day to celebrate soil was recommended by the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) in 2002. After being endorsed at the FAO Conference in 2013, World Soil Day was formally recognized by the UN General Assembly.
2025 Theme – Healthy Soils for Healthy Futures
The theme for 2025, “Healthy soils for healthy cities”, focuses on the role of soils in cities and the challenges posed by soil sealing and urbanization. Urban soils provide essential ecosystem services: they support food production, filter water, store carbon, regulate temperatures, and sustain biodiversity. World Soil Day 2025 is a call to action. It invites policymakers, scientists, city leaders, civil society, and citizens everywhere to reimagine urban spaces through their soils, ensuring that people and nature can thrive together in healthy green cities.
Events in Geneva
Blue and Green Jet d'eau Illumination
5 December 2025
On the occasion of Soil Day, Jet d’Eau will be illuminated in blue and green—the Save Soil colours. This symbolic gesture aims to raise awareness of the importance of safeguarding soil for future generations.
Soil and the Role of Geneva
In the face of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, our soils are being degraded and polluted, putting excessive pressure on this precious resource and the food systems that depend on it. Learn more about these issues and the role of Geneva-based organizations to promote the sustainable management of soils towards a food-secure world and stable and sustainably used ecosystems.
More on Soils, Food and the Environment
Food is at the center of human lives, and so are the soils that support food systems. However, unsustainable food production and consumption practices have led to environmental degradation, including soil degradation, and exacerbated climate change. In return, food systems suffer from climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
Land and soil degradation pose a major threat to global food security and to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – compromising the well-being of at least 3.2 billion people around the world. Loss of soil biodiversity, soil erosion, pollution and salinization are all critical issues that need to be addressed to ensure food security, livelihoods, and health for all.
As the leading organization on the issue, FAO provides numerous resources to better understand the role of soil and food systems for a sustainable future, as well as challenges and ways forward. From a Geneva perspective, our dedicated page provided useful resources on this nexus and the organizations in Geneva working on these issues. In light of recent international negotiations and debates on plastic pollution, the role of plastics in agriculture and the subsequent soil pollution has also been under focus. Find more information in our Plastics and the Environment series.
News and Resources
- FAO Soils Portal
- Global Soil Partnership Assembly discusses how to meet “ambitious and urgent” target | FAO | June 2024
- Global Resources Outlook 2024 | March 2024