Chile marks World Soil Day 2017

Santiago de Chile – 5 December 2017 – The seminar “Caring for the planet begins with the soil” at San Sebastian University gathered representatives of academia, government agents, producers, researchers, international organizations, civil society members and students to discuss the protection and management of soils in sustainable agriculture. 

The event was organized by the UNCCD Coordination Unit for Latin America and the Caribbean in association with FAO and the NGO "Sustainable soil" (Suelos Sustentables) with the support from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Chilean society of Soil Sciences, La Frontera University and San Sebastian University.

The topics presented for discussion included land degradation neutrality in the framework of sustainable development goals, incentives for the recovery of degraded soils and the science behind soil care. 

Participants have agreed to make soil contamination a central topic for the next year’s World Soil Day events in Chile, since this is a very relevant theme for the country due to the soil degradation caused by the mining practices and the excessive use of chemicals in agriculture. The presenters also highlighted the need  to broaden the scope of discussion to include the farmers and private associations.