Netherlands and Spain: each year should be “the year of the soil”
The Embassy of the Netherlands in Spain celebrates the Technical Seminar on the administration and management of agricultural soils on January 21, 2016, in Zaragoza (Spain), in the Pignatelli Building, from 10 am. The event was also organized in collaboration with the Center for Research and Food Technology of Aragón (CITA) and the Spanish Society of Soil Science (SECS).
At the request of FAO, 2015 was declared the International Year of Soils, a momentous initiative considering the role that soil plays in ensuring food security worldwide and the fight against climate change, two issues that are currently the center of attention.
A soil in good health is of utmost importance in meeting the targets set. As the maintenance of soil health continued sustainable process management and monitoring, the embassy of the Netherlands considers that every year should be the year of the soil.
Worldwide, including Spain and the Netherlands, the soil is under pressure. Thus, soil health worsens due to the use of increasingly large and heavy machinery and a supply of organic matter often inadequate. Monoculture and excessive use of chemical fertilizers to soils drag this imbalance that these are not able to show more or profitability or provide needed services to society.
In the long run this situation represents one of the greatest threats to the food supply to the population. The solution for improved soil management lies in the overall improvement of the properties. It is not only fertilization, tillage or health, but a comprehensive approach that includes all aspects is necessary.
The soil is the main means of production in agriculture. Good management and management of this resource ensures optimum production, now and in the future. Agricultural soils provide not only agricultural products but also what are called ecosystem services to society such as biodiversity, water management and climate resilience. These different services often go together and are mutually reinforcing.
On this day, we want to examine from the Spanish and Dutch experience how to work together for a better integrated management of soils. We will deal with the problem of soil salinization in irrigation and the need for monitoring. The effects of climate change on land use in Aragon is another topic that will be discussed. Review the lessons learned through Life + projects developed in Spain, such as “green deserts”, “Crops for better soil” and “CO2 Operation”.
A properly directed research should lead to a soil management that yields greater benefits to farmers who provide goods to society as a whole and to assure us that in 50 or 100 years we can continue to have good soils.
In early January the final program of the day will be realized.
Source: Embassy of the Netherlands in Spain
