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.
An international day to celebrate soil was recommended by the
International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) in 2002. Under the leadership of
the Kingdom of Thailand and within the framework of the Global Soil
Partnership, FAO has supported the formal establishment of WSD as a global
awareness raising platform. The FAO Conference unanimously endorsed World Soil
Day in June 2013 and requested its official adoption at the 68th UN General
Assembly. In December 2013, the UN General Assembly responded by designating 5
December 2014 as the first official World Soil Day.