The ground beneath our feet is a true all-rounder. It is the most species-rich habitat on our planet, it stores gigantic amounts of carbon and water, feeds people and animals, and provides the ground for flowers to bloom and trees to grow. Soil is a vital resource – and it is under serious threat. Globally, around one-third of soils are degraded. Yesterday's fertile humus is drying out, and more and more soil is being sealed off for infrastructure development. Conflicts over increasingly scarce land are rising.

The Soil Atlas 2024 highlights not only the consequences of global soil loss but also the potential of sustainable and equitable land use for climate protection and biodiversity.

This webinar, taking place during the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), will emphasize concrete experiences with soil restoration from different continents. It will also address the necessary framework conditions for soil restoration such as land rights.

Welcome remarks

• Anna Lappé, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for the Future of Food

Presentation of the Soil Atlas 2024

• Larissa Stiem-Bhatia, Programme Lead – Nature-Based Solutions at TMG Thinktank for Sustainability

Panel Discussion

• Rosinah Mbenya, PELUM Kenya

• Mino Ramaroson, Regional Coordinator Africa, Huairou Commission on women’s land rights in Africa

• Vijay Kumar Thallam, Executive Vice Chairman of the Indian non-profit Rythu Sadhikara Samstha

• Dr. Victor Castillo, Research Professor at the Department of Soil and Water Conservation in the Spanish National Research Agency (CSIC) in Murcia, Spain

Moderation

• Lena Luig, Head of International Agricultural Policy Division at Heinrich Böll Foundation

[Heinrich Böll Foundation. Soil Atlas 2024. Retrieved 14,11,2024 from https://calendar.boell.de/en/event/soil-atlas-2024]