Caring for Soils for a Sustainable World

Abstract

All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. T year 2015 is special on two fronts: 1) It is the International Year of Soils, which will raise awareness about the fundamental roles of soils for human life (Fig. 1); and 2) It is also the decisive year for setting sustainable development goals (SDGs) for the global community, in which soils are an integral part of the United Nations’ SDGs initiative and post-2015 agenda. An integrated strategy addressing both these fronts, as illustrated in Fig. 2, can help increase the public’s understanding and appreciation for soils. Understanding is the first step towards meaningful action and long-term improvement. At the core of this strategy is a fundamental shift in our perception of soils and an ethic for caring about soils.