The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has been conferred the respected International “King Bhumibol World Soil Day – 2020 Award” by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome. The announcement was done on the eve of World Soil Day, 2020 (5th December 2020). ICAR was recognized for their outstanding contributions to soil health awareness with the theme, “Stop soil erosion, save our future” for the year 2019.
About King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award
Introduced in 2018, the King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award acknowledges individuals or institutions that contribute to raising public consciousness about soil-related issues through successful and influential World Soil Day events. Sponsored by the Kingdom of Thailand, the award bears the name of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who was renowned for his long-term commitment to popularizing the significance of sustainable soil management and rehabilitation for food security, poverty alleviation and more. Past winners include Practical Action in Bangladesh in 2018, and the Costa Rican Soil Science Society (AACS) in 2019.
Overview of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
ICAR is an autonomous body falling under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It was established on 16th July 1929 and was formerly known as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, the headquarters of which are located in New Delhi. ICAR assumes the critical role of coordinating, guiding and managing agricultural research and education in India. As such, it oversees one of the world’s largest networks of agricultural research and educational institutes that covers a wide array of fields including horticulture, soil science, fisheries and animal sciences, spanning across the entire country.
Understanding Soil Degradation
Soil degradation is essentially the physical, chemical and biological decline in soil condition due to its misuse or poor management, usually for agricultural, industrial or urban purposes. It involves the loss of organic matter, decline in soil fertility, structural condition deterioration, erosion, harmful changes in salinity, acidity or alkalinity, and the effects of toxic chemicals, pollutants or excessive flooding.
Soil degradation is primarily caused by excessive pressure on land resources to meet the growing requirements of food, fodder and fibre from an expanding populace. These processes subsequently reduce agricultural productivity, giving rise to social instability.
The emission of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, which results in climate change and global warming, could also be a significant contributor to soil degradation. From human activities such as introducing large scale irrigation canals and inappropriate land use patterns to accelerated soil degradation through salinization, flooding, drought, erosion and waterlogging, soil degradation has multiple causative factors. Other reasons that lead to degradation due to direct or indirect human interventions include: deforestation and removal of natural vegetation, overgrazing, agriculture-related activities, over-exploitation of vegetation for domestic use.
Glinka World Soil Prize
The Glinka World Soil Prize is another award conferred by the FAO pertinent to the field of soil. It is an annual honour conferred on dynamic change-makers dedicated to addressing one of our world’s most pressing environmental challenges, i.e. soil degradation. It pays tribute to individuals and organizations whose leadership and activities have made significant contributions to the promotion of sustainable soil management and the protection of soil resources.
