The Department of Agriculture has marked World Soil Day this month with a reminder that effective soil management will build Australia’s drought resilience and boost agricultural productivity.
Deputy Secretary at the Department of Agriculture, Cindy Briscoe said World Soil Day on 5 December was a timely reminder of the considerable environmental benefits of healthy soil practices.
“The earth under our feet is the bedrock Australian agriculture is built on and continues to rely on for prosperity – we can’t take it for granted,” Ms Briscoe said.
“Healthy soils underpin food, fibre, environment, energy – and we will always work with and support farmers to continuously improve soils, vegetation and biodiversity.
“World Soil Day is an opportunity to highlight the significant role that healthy and productive soils play in our lives every day.”
Ms Briscoe said the Federal commitment to the development of a National Soils Strategy in partnership with State and Territory Governments would help improve and protect valuable soil resources.
“Since 2017, $39 million has been invested in the Soil Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils, which is helping to link soil science to on-farm applications,” Ms Briscoe said.
“More than 30 projects have been funded from 2018–19 to 2022–23 to address soil acidification, soil carbon, wind erosion and hillslope erosion national-wide.”
“Our farmers manage around 51 per cent of our land—it’s imperative we work with them to protect and carefully manage one of our most valuable resources.
“Effective soil management doesn’t just benefit agriculture—it’s an endlessly giving resource that has huge impacts on human health and our environment,” she said.
On World Soil Day, Ms Briscoe asked Australians to “Stop and think about what we’re doing to ensure safe and healthy soil is passed on to the next generations of Australians.”
