International organics movement IFOAM voted unanimously for a campaign to support soil health and soil carbon storage at last month's General Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey. The Save Our Soils campaign will therefore be embedded in the UN International Year of Soils 2015, with IFOAM teaming up with FAO in the campaign.
Volkert Engelsman, initiator of the Save Our Soils campaign and IFOAM World Board member for the last three years, explained why such a focus was so badly needed.
'In order to feed the world, agriculture needs to look after its soils,' he said. 'Whilst organic may not be the only solution, it certainly is by far the best builder of soils and soil fertility. Healthy soils contribute to better water management, biodiversity, mitigation of climate change and economic empowerment of farmers. An increasing number of studies confirm the crucial role of soil fertility to feed tomorrow’s planet. These studies deserve all the attention they can get.'
The Save Our Soils campaign was initiated in December 2012 by Nature & More, the Dutch specialist in organic fruit and vegetables, under the framework of the FAO Global Soil Partnership.
With growers and consumers in six continents, Nature & More believes it is ideally positioned to launch this global awareness campaign, which employs the slogan ‘Healthy Soils = Healthy Food’.
The Save Our Soils campaign has rapidly gained momentum in recent years, and currently numbers over 70 international partners and NGOs, lead by its international patron, Vandana Shiva, the Alternative Nobel Prize winner.
At its General Assembly in Istanbul, IFOAM also voted in favour of a strategic motion to support fair and transparent marketing systems that empower farmers to capitalise on their contributions to the environment, not least Nature & More's online transparency system.
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