World Soil Day (WSD) is an annual observance on December 5th that focuses on the importance of healthy soil and the sustainable management of soil resources.
An international day to celebrate soil was recommended by the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) in 2002. It was established as a global awareness raising platform by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 2012, under the leadership of the Kingdom of Thailand and within the framework of the Global Soil Partnership. It was formally recognized by the UN General Assembly in 2013. The date was chosen to coincide with the birthday of a prominent soil advocate, the late King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej.
The 2025 theme, “Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities,” focuses on urban soils and the challenges of soil sealing. The event highlights the role of sustainable soil management in supporting resilient cities, biodiversity, and food security.
The SOILSCAPE project adheres to this initiative through its consortium members’ initiatives across Europe.
Healthy soils for healthy communities in UNESCO-designated sites
5 December 2025 | Online
On the World Soil Day 2025, the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe celebrates together with UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, Global Geoparks, and World Heritage sites across South-East Europe and the Mediterranean basin region, as well as UNESCO Soil Sentinels worldwide. UNESCO Soil Sentinels are designated sites dedicated to monitoring, restoring, and promoting sustainable land and soil management.
Through a Call for Pictures, UNESCO Regional Bureau invited designated sites to submit two photographs showcasing their soils at different scales:
• A close-up image focusing on the soil itself;
• And a landscape view, a wider image showing the surrounding environment — including any activities, buildings, or cities integrated into the site — in line with this year’s theme, “Healthy soils for healthy cities.”
The collected materials were edited and combined with satellites views showing urban areas within the designated sites, to create multimedia animations for each site, promoting knowledge about soil health and protection as well as celebrating our connection and relations with it.
French Soil Science Society (AFES)
12th edition of the World Soil Day in France
Soil health: a continuum from urban to rural areas
4–6 December 2025 | Pays de la Loire, France
French website: https://www.afes.fr/nos-missions/animer/jms/journee-mondiale-des-sols-2025/
Event added to the FAO map: https://www.fao.org/world-soil-day/worldwide-events/en
Soil health is essential to food production, biodiversity, carbon storage, water regulation and sustainable development, yet remains insufficiently considered in planning and management. To address this gap, AFES, RNEST, GIS Sol and RMT Sols & Territoires are organising the 12th edition of World Soil Day in the Pays de la Loire, a scientific and technical event dedicated to soil health across urban, rural, agricultural and natural contexts.
The event aims to foster interdisciplinary exchange between research, training and territorial stakeholders; share experience on integrating soil health into public policy and planning; and promote practical approaches for diagnosing, monitoring and improving soil quality.
An introductory online conference on 13 November 2025 (10:00–12:00) will frame the theme and outline key scientific, methodological and territorial challenges. From 4 to 6 December 2025, regional sessions will include conferences and case studies, technical workshops, field visits, and interprofessional exchanges connecting scientists, local authorities, managers and economic actors.
By strengthening the dialogue between science and practice, this edition seeks to support concrete, collaborative solutions for understanding, protecting and enhancing soil health—from city centres to rural areas.
You can find an overview of the provisional program and further information at this link: https://www.afes.fr/nos-missions/animer/jms/journee-mondiale-des-sols-2025/
ANCI Toscana
Link: https://www.sienacomunica.it/eco-sistema-urbano-4-5-dicembre-2025/
Dialogue between institutions, citizens and nature
Territorial management agreement on soil health in Siena: proposals and perspectives on the occasion of World Soil Day
4-5 December 2025 | Siena, Italy
The Municipality of Siena invites citizens, institutions, researchers, and professionals to take part in a two-day event dedicated to World Soil Day 2025, organized within the HuMUS Project pilot activities.
Across two key locations:
• December 4th · Great Hall, Accademia dei Fisiocritici
• December 5th · Sala Patrizi
the event will focus on biodiversity, green policies, and the protection of soil health.
Participants will engage in discussions, participatory activities, and the presentation of the Territorial Management Agreement for Soil Health developed in Siena, as projects are reaching completion and new perspectives emerge for a more innovative and sustainable city.
In addition, the SOILSCAPE project will be presented, featuring the Municipality of Siena and the Siena Art Institute among the stakeholders of the Italian Soil Orchestra, further enhancing the link between environmental stewardship, education, and artistic expression.
A representative from the European Commission’s Mission Soil will provide valuable insights into European strategies, their implementation, and future challenges for soil protection.
This initiative is open to the whole community and represents a significant opportunity to connect local practices with European visions, strengthening collective action toward sustainability and environmental resilience, in a city recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
University of Coimbra
Link: https://cfe.uc.pt/eventos/mostra-de-ciencia-dia-mundial-do-solo-2025/
Mostra de Ciência – Dia Mundial do Solo 2025
5 December 2025 | Cantanhede, Portugal
E3G – Environmental Ecology and Ecotoxicology Group, in partnership with other research groups from the Centre for Functional Ecology – Science for people and the Planet at the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Coimbra, and together with the Municipality of Cantanhede, will organize a science exhibition as part of World Soil Day 2025 celebrations.
The World Soil Day 2025 Science Exhibition will take place at the UC-BIOTECH (Biocant Park) facilities in Cantanhede on December 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.. During this day, soil researchers from different areas will present activities specially designed to learn about soil and its importance, including talks about soil, soil experiments, interactive learning games and hands-on activities, with a special focus on this year’s World Soil Day theme: “Healthy Soils For Healthy Cities”.
This science exhibition will also showcase the research projects currently being developed at the University of Coimbra, including SOILSCAPE, and their role into further developing our knowledge on soil and its protection.
Soil is a unique universe, so we invite everyone to come and discover it with us!
This initiative is open to the whole community and admission is free.
Serralves Foundation
Image@Mariana Rio
Mãos na Horta
5 December 2025 | Serralves Park, Portugal
Bringing children closer to the art of cultivating the soil is a key contribution to valuing natural resources, biodiversity and food, as well as to understanding climate change.
The Vegetable Garden is a weekly meeting place for numerous schools, educators and children, who here explore growing crops and seasonality in an urban setting. Sowing, planting, hoeing, watering, harvesting and cooking with the sun are inspiring practices for a wide range of learning experiences, grounded in the principles of organic farming, renewable energy and the circular economy.
On World Soil Day, this activity takes on a special significance, offering children a concrete way to recognise soil as a living, limited and irreplaceable resource. By working the earth with their own hands and observing how food grows, they become more aware of the links between soil health, biodiversity, climate and everyday life. In this way, the Vegetable Garden helps form more conscious future citizens who understand the need to protect and regenerate soils.