World Soil Day, CIB: “Farming for Future recipe for soil health and sustainability”

Healthy soils through the valorisation of livestock manure, organic fertilisation in the fields (increasing the carbon in farmland), but also the use of innovative tillage (precision farming and minimum tillage) and double cropping: this is the Farming for Future recipe of the CIB – Consorzio Italiano Biogas on the occasion of World Soil Day.

‘Soil and Water’ is the theme chosen this year by FAO for today’s Day. And agriculture knows that water is a fundamental resource for its activities and also what the scarcity of water means for soil life. Commitments and concrete actions by agriculture contained in the 10 actions of Farming for Future can protect the soil, moving the sector towards agroecology. Long-term investments to achieve the goal of producing more with less, including through the use of Farming 4.0 practices and thus: in periods of severe drought, invest in drip fertigation and sensors to determine water requirements, regulate and save water inputs to preserve crops, as well as to increase the efficiency of water, seed and fertiliser use.

“This year’s World Soil Day reminds us of the valuable link between soil and water in agriculture, a vital relationship for our ecosystems. Climate change is putting a strain on our soil and agriculture, but the sector is now even more committed to containing its dramatic effects and preserving our food system. Investments in technology, advanced tillage measures and efficient use of digestate will restore organic matter to the soil increasing soil fertility, contributing to biodiversity and increasing nutrient and water retention capacity, putting the soil back at the centre. This is the path that we have encapsulated within the Farming for Future project, which over the past three years has allowed us to travel across Italy, among our country’s farms of excellence. In these days of discussions at COP28 also on the role of agriculture in mitigating emissions and saving the Earth, we have ready a roadmap in 10 actions that will enable the sector to move towards agro-ecological transition and achieve climate goals on schedule, also looking at renewable energy development,’ says CIB President Piero Gattoni.