December 5th celebrates the World Soil Day, with the aim to highlight the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to human wellbeing.

The formal establishment of this celebration was proposed by FAO in 2012, under the leadership of the Kingdom of Thailand and within the framework of the "Global Soil Partnership". In December of the following year, the 68th UN General Assembly declared 5th of December as the World Soil Day.

It all started from the recognition that soil resources are still seen as a second-tier priority and we often fail to connect soil with our food, water, climate, biodiversity and life. The World Soil Day campaign aims to connect people with soils and raise awareness on their critical importance in our lives. This year celebrations and events will be held worldwide in the week from 5 to 12 December 2014.

Moreover, the 2014 World Soil Day will also see the launch of the International Year of Soils, that will be celebrated in 2015 with events taking place in Santiago, Bangkok and New York.

For more information please visit the official website