World Soil Day

5 December is marked as World Soil Day (WSD) to focus on the importance of healthy soil and
push for the sustainable management of soil resources. The theme this year is "Soils, where food begins".

Did you know?

Only a fraction of the earth’s surface has soil suitable for growing food.
It is estimated that crop production globally makes up 11% of the earth’s surface, although prime farming lands are rarer. 

Unique fingerprints of their locations
Soil formation depends on several factors like the climate of the area, the plants and trees growing above it, the underlying geology or rock material that break down over long periods of time, to state a few. No wonder, soil is also called ‘The living crust of the earth” or the “interface of biology, climate, geology and time’.

Home to many diverse creatures
It is said that one gram of soil is home to several thousand species of bacteria. A typical healthy functioning soil can have hundreds of species of fungi, different species of vertebrate animals, earthworms and insects.

Help mitigate and adapt to climate change
Being a major component of the global carbon cycle, soil play an important role in  mitigating rising emissions of carbon in the atmosphere. Soil carbon is also known to be a critical element that helps increase the amount of water stored in soil. So, if properly managed, soil can act as a ‘sponge’ and reduce impact caused by extreme weather conditions like droughts and floods.