World Soil Day 2023

Soil and Water, source of life, is the theme chosen for the 2023 edition of World Soil Day
The Day aims to raise public awareness of the importance and relationship between soil and water in the creation of sustainable and resilient agri-food systems.

The survival of our planet depends on the precious bond between soil and water. Over 95% of our food comes from these two fundamental resources. Soil water, vital for plant uptake of nutrients, holds our ecosystems together. This symbiotic relationship is the foundation of our agricultural systems.

Land consumption, mainly linked to settlement and infrastructure dynamics, leads to the often irreversible loss of this fundamental, limited and non-renewable environmental resource. The latest ISPRA-SNPA data highlight a continuous growth in artificial surfaces in Italy which, in recent years, is intensifying. In fact, we are witnessing an important and worrying acceleration, with a 10% increase in land consumption in the last year (2022) compared to the previous twelve months. (Report "Consumo di suolo, dinamiche territoriali e servizi ecosistemici - Edition 2023).