The International Year of Soils: December Celebrates Soils, Culture, and People.

Soil undeniably serves as the foundation for many ecosystem services that humans rely on. Without healthy soils, our climate, food supply, and freshwater resources would be disrupted. Less recognized, however, is the importance of soils to society in a cultural sense. The monthly theme for December during IYS is Soils, Culture, and People to highlight these social connections. Soils have contributed numerous “social services” to human societies around the world and throughout history. Examples of these social services demonstrate the strong aesthetic, practical, and symbolic significance of soils to religion, literature, art, architecture, and our modern social constructs. By understanding the depth and breadth of the dependence of a vibrant society on healthy, productive soils, all citizens would support the efforts to combat the accelerating degradation, erosion, and unsustainable use of our soils.