World Soil Day 2025: Small-scale Farmers Step Up to Restore Soils in Crisis

Globally, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that 33% of soils are degraded. Uganda’s situation is even more critical, with 46% of the country’s soils degraded, according to national assessments. In a region already losing 5 to 12 tons of topsoil per hectare annually, the implications for rural livelihoods, food systems, and national development are severe. In Uganda, where 80% of arable land is managed by small-scale farmers, soil degradation directly translates into reduced yields, declining incomes, and weakened community resilience.

As Uganda joins the international community in commemorating World Soil Day 2025 under the theme “Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities,” a clear and urgent message emerges: the nation’s soil is in peril, and only a swift transition toward natural soil regeneration can safeguard future livelihoods. This year’s theme is especially relevant for developing countries, where rapid urbanization continues to seal off soil surfaces, destroy natural ecosystems, and weaken the very foundations upon which sustainable cities are built.

Healthy soil is no longer just an agricultural concern; it is now recognized as a cornerstone for climate resilience, biodiversity protection, food security, and overall economic stability. Soil forms the bedrock of life. It absorbs carbon, supports biodiversity, sustains food production, regulates water systems, and acts as a buffer against climate change. Yet the alarming levels of land degradation paint a grim picture.

Urbanization, commercial monocropping, deforestation, wetland destruction, and improper waste disposal, especially plastic pollution continue to strip soils of their fertility. Industrial activities further compound the issue through pollution and land conversion. All these pressures interact with climate change, resulting in erratic weather, prolonged droughts, destructive floods, rising food insecurity, and worsening health conditions. In the face of these growing threats, farmers, environmental advocates, and policymakers increasingly agree that the solution lies in healing the soil with methods that restore, not damage, its natural vitality.

The conventional reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides has led to a silent but devastating decline in soil health. Chemicals disrupt microbial activity, degrade soil structure, acidify the land, and reduce its natural ability to regenerate. They also contaminate water sources, diminish pollinator populations, and push farmers into a dependency cycle where yields only remain stable through increased chemical application. Over time, the land becomes drier, weaker, and less productive, threatening entire communities whose livelihoods depend on it.

A growing movement across the country, led prominently by small-scale farmers, is emphasizing the power of natural soil enrichment methods. ESAFF Uganda farmers are protecting soils by fully embracing agroecology through practical actions such as composting, mulching, crop rotation, mixed cropping, and agroforestry, all taught through Community Agroecology Schools and farmer-to-farmer learning. They prioritize organic fertilizers and bio-inputs over chemicals, which helps restore soil fertility, enhance soil organic matter, and prevent erosion. Farmers also conserve indigenous seeds through community seed banks, promoting crop diversity that strengthens soil health and resilience to climate stress.

These efforts are further supported by youth Agroecology Clubs in schools and the Agroecology School for Journalists and Communicators which empower youth on sustainable soil use and management. Together, these community-driven practices enable farmers to rebuild degraded soils, enhance biodiversity, reduce dependence on external inputs, and create more resilient and sustainable food systems.

These natural approaches breathe life back into the soil. They nurture earthworms, fungi, and microorganisms essential for nutrient cycling, water retention, and plant health. They improve soil organic matter, increase biodiversity, and promote long-term fertility.

On this World Soil Day 2025, small-scale farmers across the country urge the government and partners to recognize soil protection as a national priority through:

1. Reducing soil sealing to protect these vital resources for future generations through encourage sustainable waste disposal and management, use of the acceptable building materials and maintaining the existing natural resources like wetlands and swamps.

2. Agroecology should be at the core of national agricultural policies, harmonized with global frameworks like the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) goals. Investments in agroecology will scale its adoption and combat soil degradation.

3. Governments and partners should support farmer field schools and community-led knowledge exchange programs. These initiatives empower farmers with practical skills in sustainable land use and soil management.

4. Uganda and East African governments must involve small-scale farmers in translating LDN commitments into actionable programs. Policies addressing soil degradation must recognize farmers as central to land restoration.

5. Commitments under the Soil Health Resolution must prioritize investments in technologies and practices that soil ecosystems regeneration, critical for food security and climate resilience.

   
   

ESAFF Uganda is committed to building a community that views soil as a vital source of life that must be conserved at all times. We aim to achieve this by creating awareness and documenting best practices to help preserve our soils and prevent degradation.