Skip to main content

The Soil4Life Manifesto




We, as part of the ecosystem, understand ourselves as guardians of the soil...


The 5th of December 2019 is International Soil Day, and marked the  launch of the Soil4Life Manifesto first draft. 

The manifesto begins:

We, as part of the ecosystem, understand ourselves as guardians of the soil.

Healthy, living soil is essential for life to thrive. In recent human history quality and care of soil has been largely ignored and misunderstood. The vital role that healthy soils play in our ecosystems needs to be recognised, protected and restored...
We would like to hear and include the voices and concerns of all people affected by this serious and sensitive subject.

The Soil4Life manifesto was first drafted on October 17th, 2019 during an international  soil management training, as part of the bigger Soil4Life project and CCIVS for Climate Justice. CCIVS and Legambiente partnered with other organisations to make this possible and a group of Soil Ambassadors has been formed. These Soil Ambassadors are taking actions, from small grassroots, individuals projects to larger partnered NGOs  and university research, to raise awareness, restore degraded soils, re-green cities, improved farming methods and inspire young people through education programmes on soil.
At the training, four temporary, working groups were formed and different concerns and challenges around soil were discussed. It was decided to focus the manifesto in relation to  4 of the global SDGs - Zero Hunger, Climate Action, Life on Land, and Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Since the first version was drafted, an online document has been created a participants were invited to add feedback and comments, as the draft has been developed.
Now we invite you or your organisations to give your input! We would like to hear and include the voices and concerns of all people affected by this serious and sensitive subject.


The final manifesto will be delivered to UNESCO in March 2022. It is a call to action by global leaders to support the transition to a life-sustaining, healthy and thriving environment- of which the ground we walk on is the foundation.

You can read more and comment on the manifesto first draft here, your input is greatly valued! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Regenerating soil AND growing food

The land where I live has been exploited and badly damaged over many decades. The most noticeable impact is caused by the huge Eucalyptus and abundant Wattle that are overcrowding the area, dehydrating the soil, blocking the sunlight and limiting biodiversity. These plants were brought here for the vast monoculture  plantations that surround us- as a replacement for the indigenous old-grow woods when they became highly endangered due to over harvesting and deforestation. Eucalyptus, Pine and Wattle are not from this country nor region, and our local flora and fauna cannot thrive here- they create a very limited ecosystem and wreak havoc on the natural ecosystem services that our unique endemic forests provide. But, with the right tools and resources, they can become a blessing! With a chainsaw and a chipper, we are able to turn biomass into compost which we use in our indigenous tree nursery, in our food gardens and in our agroforestry systems to improve the soil. While clearing
1 comment
Read more

Soil for Food Security in South Africa

  In South Africa the restrictions and impact of Covid-19 are having a direct effect on millions of children. 5 000 000 school children rely on government school feeding schemes. Since school closures and disruptions due to Covid-19 protocols and social distancing, millions of children are now going hungry. In a grassroots response to the ensuing food crisis and job losses, many local community members have set up soup kitchens from their own homes.  Establishing food gardens creates an opportunity to feed into these soup kitchens with fresh, nourishing, healthy vegetable. Growing gardens restores a valuable sense of purpose and teaches a skill set that can help people to provide for themselves and their families´ basic needs. It also provides a place to connect, share seeds, recipes, nutritional advice and stories!  Of course, at the foundation of these food gardens is the soil! Especially in a small, intensive space, soil fertility and nutrient cycling is essential. Thanks
Post a Comment
Read more