Soils can be healed

Protecting soil starts with awareness and action. Education, citizen science, and community outreach help people reconnect with soil and understand its value — leading to healthier soils and stronger communities.

We can care for soil in three key ways:

Prevention — Avoid damage before it happens, like stopping deforestation or overgrazing that can lead to erosion, landslides, or loss of soil life.

Mitigation — Reduce the harm of necessary land use, for example by using terraces to slow erosion or leaving crop leftovers to maintain organic matter.

Restoration — Heal damaged soils by planting trees, adding compost or green manure, and supporting soil organisms like earthworms that help rebuild life underground.

It's also important to remember that soil health depends on context. What makes soil "healthy" in one place may look very different in another, depending on the climate, landscape, and how the land is used. That's why local knowledge and understanding are essential when we talk about caring for soil.