New Delhi: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan virtually addressed the inaugural session of the Global Soil Conference 2024 held Tuesday in New Delhi. The conference, themed “Caring Soils Beyond Food Security: Climate Change Mitigation & Ecosystem Services,” is being organized by the Indian Society of Soil Science (ISSS) in collaboration with the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), a PIB release stated.
Chouhan stressed the critical importance of soil health in ensuring global food security and sustainability. He highlighted India’s integration of soil health management into climate action policies, emphasizing soil’s role in mitigating climate change and supporting ecosystem services. Chouhan urged scientists, policymakers, and practitioners to develop actionable, farmer-centric solutions to enhance soil productivity and resilience, leveraging innovative technologies to combat soil degradation and nutrient loss.
Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member of NITI Aayog, delivered an address emphasizing the historical evolution of soil management practices and their impact on agricultural productivity and sustainability. He highlighted the growing economic consequences of soil degradation, describing it as a “silent crisis” with far-reaching implications. He emphasized that deteriorating soil health reduces agricultural productivity and causes significant financial losses for farmers and national economies.