TEHRAN – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) representative to Iran Gerold Bödeker, reaffirms the Organization’s stance to support Iran in developing and adopting policies and programs promoting sustainable agricultural systems and nurturing soil biodiversity.

In partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, FAO commemorated World Soil Day 2020, underscoring the prominence of soil biodiversity and its central role in sustaining life on Earth and securing food and nutrition security. 

At the virtual event co-hosted on Monday, Bödeker reiterated that FAO, as the lead UN agency promoting sustainable agricultural systems, stands ready to support the country to further develop and implement agro-ecological practices to ensuring sustainable healthy biodiverse soils. 

He also said that how the quality and health of soils to a large extent determine agricultural production and sustainability, environmental quality and consequently affects plants, animals, and human health.

“Improving soil biodiversity is vital to ensuring soil health and future food and nutrition security,” emphasized FAO Representative, adding “Healthy biodiverse soils, as the largest store of terrestrial carbon, play an important role in climate change mitigation by carbon sequestration and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.”

Mentioning this year's theme of World Soil Day 2020 – Keep Soil Alive, Protect Soil Biodiversity –Bödeker added that “soil organisms not only can break down or clean up certain types of pollution but also soil biodiversity is an essential source of the chemical and genetic resources that are required for the development of new medicines.”

FAO Representative urged all national and international stakeholders to join hands to facilitate the development and implementation of policies and programs that promote sustainable agricultural systems, dedicate great care to nurturing soil biodiversity, increase soil organic matter content, and combat loss of soil through wind and water erosion. 

FB/MG