Page 4 - AWA Vol.37 No.4

GLOBAL SYMPOSIUM ON SOIL
EDITORIAL
BIODIVERSITY APRIL 2021

The health of our soil depends on the presence of a The event is jointly organized by FAO and its Global
vast community of living organisms ranging from bacte- Soil Partnership, the Intergovernmental Technical Panel
ria and fungi to earthworms, insects and vertebrates, all on Soils, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the
of which constitute soil biodiversity. Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative, and the Science-Pol-
icy Interface of the United Nations Convention to Com-
Together, they perform a multitude of ecosystem func- bat Desertification.
tions and provide key ecosystem services that are criti-
cal for supporting agriculture and food security. These The Symposium’s main objective will be to fill some
include, regulating nutrient cycles; controlling the dy- critical knowledge gaps, identify scalable solutions to
namics of soil organic matter; supporting soil carbon global challenges through enhanced soil biodiversity,
sequestration; regulating greenhouse gas emissions; and promote discussion among policy makers, food
modifying soil physical structure and soil water regimes; producers, scientists, practitioners and other stakehold-
reducing and regulating soil contamination; enhancing ers on solutions to live in harmony with nature, and ul-
the amount and efficiency of nutrient acquisition by timately, achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
vegetation through symbiotic associations and nitrogen through the conservation and sustainable use of soil
fixation by bacteria. In addition, these organisms influ- biodiversity.
ence plant, animal, soil and human health through the
interaction of pathogens and pests with their natural FAO Director-General QU Dongyu will deliver a state-
predators and parasites, by providing natural defenses, ment at the High-Level Opening Session on Monday, 19
and by serving as a source of medicines and nutrients. April 2021.
The Symposium will also feature a session focusing
From 19-22 April 2021 the Food and Agriculture Orga-
nization of the United Nations will be hosting the Global on the private sector actions on soil biodiversity/ soil
Symposium on Soil Biodiversity 2021. Due to the cur- health and a review of the status of global soil biodiver-
rent COVID-19 pandemic the event will be virtual. It will sity.
bring together government officials, international or-
ganisations, land users, and a wide array of experts on
soil science and biodiversity.

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Poultry
• Breeding/Feeding systems
Seeds and Plantstock, Fertilizers
Harvesting and Storage
• Balers and bale handling equipment

• Grain handling equipment/Storage and silos
• Combine harvesters

Show Review

• Iran Agro 2021, Tehran