2025-2034: Decade of soil sciences for sustainable development

The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) is the global organization of soil researchers. It aims to advance all areas of soil sciences and its applications, foster connections among researchers and practitioners involved in soil sciences, encourage and support the implementation of soil research, and promote soil in education.

The IUSS states that “healthy soils underpin healthy societies: healthy soils are the foundation of social, ecological, and economic sustainability”. IUSS therefore advocates for soil health to be included in all areas of sustainability research.

Societies depend for their sustainability on healthy and well-functioning soil ecosystems, which can underpin biodiversity and the quality of air and water. Soil provides essential ecosystem services such as flood and erosion control, pest and disease regulation, climate change mitigation, waste recycling, water purification, biodiversity support, cultural heritage preservation, food security, material provision, and development space.

To ensure the continuation or restoration of those services, sustainable management of the soil needs to become part of all areas of social action. This means maintaining or enhancing soil health and protecting it from destruction, pollution, and exploitation in all activities, including extensive urban development.

Decade of Soil Sciences for Sustainable Development

The IUSS has successfully concluded the Decade of Soils 2015-2024, culminating in the celebration of its Centennial. The primary objective of the decade was to increase awareness regarding the significant roles that soils play in addressing contemporary environmental, health, and social challenges faced by humanity.

According to the United Nations (UN) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the progress towards achieving most of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is lagging. One contributing factor is the lack of sufficient focus on sustainable soil management and protecting areas from sealing and other forms of destruction. Regenerative and sustainable soil management is essential for sustainable development. Without addressing the impact of human activities on soil health, achieving most of the targets set by the UN SDGs is unfeasible.

In August 2023, the UN General Assembly proclaimed the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD) led by UNESCO aimed at strengthening worldwide scientific cooperation. In consideration of the need to prioritize production, dissemination and use of actionable scientific knowledge to achieve the targets of the SDGs, the IUSS has launched the 2025-2034 Decade of Soil Sciences for Sustainable Development (DSSSD).

The overall objectives of the decade are:

• Create a strong science-policy-society interface on soil health and protection for sustainability.
• Advance practical understanding on soil sciences for sustainable development.
• Support scientific research and innovation in integrating sustainable soil management in all areas of social action.
• Promote initiatives which engage society with soil research, including citizen science, knowledge co-production, science communication, and soil in education.
• Foster meaningful cooperation between soil research and society to enhance trust in science.
• Diversify and strengthen social, cultural, and artistic research on soils.
• Strengthen international collaborative and transdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research initiatives.

Planned specific activities during the decade comprise the following:

• Publishing review papers on tracking the relationships between soil and SDG;
• Issuing policy briefs on the recent advances in all fields of soil sciences;
• Promoting selected papers dealing with actionable scientific knowledge to achieve the targets of the SDGs;
• Hosting thematic Webinars on these topics;
• Organizing one or more Sessions on the connections between SDGs and soils at the next WCSS in Nanjing 2026;
• Publishing thematic books on the contribution of Soil Sciences to sustainable development
• Working with UNESCO, FAO, ISC, and other organizations for the implementation of IDSSD initiatives at various levels, including national soil science societies;
• Collaborating with UNESCO’s initiatives focused on leveraging the organization’s designated sites as monitoring points for soil, water, landscape, and biodiversity impacts associated with climate change and land degradation;
• Proclamation of the World Soil of the Year (WSY). In recognition of the success of various national programs, the IUSS WSY program has been implemented to enhance soil literacy across numerous countries and on a global scale.

A milestone of the DSSSD is the 23rd World Congress of Soil Sciences which will be held in Nanjing, China in June 2026. The general theme of the Congress is “Soil Health for Humanity”.

The 2025-2034 Decade of Soil Sciences for Sustainable Development is a strategic initiative highlighting soil’s critical role in achieving sustainable global development. By fostering scientific collaboration, advancing research, and engaging with policymakers and the broader society, the IUSS aims to ensure that soil management remains a top priority in global sustainability efforts. The DSSSD will contribute to a future where healthy soils support resilient ecosystems, food security, and sustainable development worldwide through structured activities, knowledge dissemination, and international cooperation.

To stay informed on the DSSSD initiative visit the IUSS website and social media channels.

Author

Edoardo A.C. Costantini

Past President, International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS)

Photo by Evergreens & Dandelions on Unsplash