Shining a Spotlight on Food Systems World Soil Day 2022 and COP 27

World Soil Day, which is observed annually on December 5th, is a moment to highlight the importance of healthy soil and advocating for responsible agricultural practices. This year’s theme was: “Soil, where food begins’ which reinforced our reliance on soil to maintain healthy food systems. Soil also had a breakthrough moment during the United Nations Climate Change Summit (COP 27) in Egypt as food and agriculture systems were highlighted as key solutions in mitigating climate change and the role of soil as a natural carbon sink. Promoting healthy food systems helps to solve two challenges – food security and climate change. 

From November 6th to November 18th, government officials, business leaders, and environmental advocates gathered together in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt for COP27 to discuss urgent actions needed to address the climate change crisis. Since the United Nations hosted the 2021 Food Systems Summit, there has been a growing recognition of the contribution of food systems to climate change and within that the role of healthy soil.  

For the first time at the United Nations Climate Change Summit, there was one negotiation day focused entirely on agriculture. This is a major step forward in recognizing the connection between soil, agriculture, food and climate change. To observe some of the agricultural events at the UN Climate Summit this year, use this link to see recorded events by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) in the Food4Climate Pavilion.