World Soil Day: Where Food Begins

L-R: Martin Royds (Jillamatong), Suzannah Cowley (Nviro Media), the Hon Penelope Wensley AC (National Soil Advocate), Carolyn Hall (Mulloon Institute), Eli Court (Soil for Life). [Photo: Nviro Media]

“Soils are key to sustaining life on earth.”

This was part of the message from the National Soils Advocate the Hon Penelope Wensley AC at the World Soils Day Event hosted by her office at Old Parliament House on the 1st of December 2022 and attended by the Mulloon Institute’s CEO and Managing Director Carolyn Hall.

This short film contains a message from the National Soils Advocate which reinforces that management of our soils is critical to food security and adapting to a changing climate. 

The event was a great chance to hear from the Parliamentary Friends of Soil co-chairs – the Hon Michael McCormick MP and Meryl Swanson MP – Paterson NSW and Chair of Standing Committee on Agriculture.  There was a real buzz in the air when the Senator the Hon Murray Watt  Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister for Emergency Management, mentioned the need for holistic management.  

The Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC) now with the National Soils Advocate as Patron was ably represented by the CEO Dr Michael Crawford who reminded us of their important work.  New CEO of Soils for Life Eli Court also addressed the crowd skillfully bringing us back to how important farmers are in managing our soils.  A highlight was meeting Laureate Professor Ravi Naidu Chair of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation International Network on Soil Pollution (INSOP).  It was great to learn that the UN 2023 Water Conference will be held in New York in March.