Background
The #Youth4Soil working group hosted its first virtual Soil Solutions showcase on 6th March, 2025. From showcasing hope for the Congo in Africa to winning with worms in Nepal, the showcase provided a platform for #Youth4Soil members exhibit the soil health solutions they are implementing and fostered interaction among key stakeholders to grow those solutions. Read more about the event here .
Soil is the foundation of life, yet poor soil health is accelerating desertification and drought, threatening food security and livelihoods. Soil health plays a critical role in preventing desertification and mitigating the impacts of drought. Soil health, desertification and Drought are connected in many ways, some of which include;
Soil Degradation & Desertification
Loss of Organic Matter: Healthy soil contains organic material that retains moisture and nutrients. When soil loses organic matter due to unsustainable farming, deforestation, or overgrazing, it becomes barren and vulnerable to desertification.
Erosion & Land Degradation: Poor soil health leads to erosion, stripping away fertile topsoil. Without topsoil, land gradually turns into desert-like conditions, unable to support plant growth.
Loss of Vegetation Cover: Degraded soil struggles to support vegetation, which is crucial for preventing wind and water erosion. Without plant cover, land dries up and deserts expand.
2. Soil Moisture & Drought Resilience
Water Retention: Healthy soil acts like a sponge, absorbing and holding water. Degraded soil lacks this ability, making it more susceptible to drought conditions.
Nutrient Availability: In drought conditions, plants rely on soil nutrients for survival. Poor soil health reduces nutrient availability, weakening crops and increasing food insecurity.
Microbial Activity: Soil microbes help plants access water and nutrients. When soil health declines, microbial life decreases, affecting plant resilience against drought.
Solutions for Protecting Soil Health
Regenerative Agriculture – Techniques like cover cropping, agroforestry, and composting improve soil structure and fertility.
Sustainable Water Management – Mulching, rainwater harvesting, and drip irrigation help retain soil moisture.
Land Restoration Projects – Reforestation and soil conservation programs combat desertification.
Protecting soil health is key to combating desertification, ensuring food security, and building climate resilience. Young people positioned as leaders, innovators, and changemakers are strengthening soil health, combating desertification, and enhancing resilience against drought, thus, securing a sustainable land use future for generations to come.
Key Objectives
Promote Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: Foster meaningful connections between various youth-led interventions in soil health, combating desertification and enhancing resilience against drought, encouraging the exchange of best practices, lessons learned, and innovative approaches.
Exhibit Youth Impact in Soil Health Advocacy: Showcase inspiring stories and initiatives led by young advocates, demonstrating their pivotal role in advancing soil health,combating desertification, and enhancing resilience against Drought.
Grow the Network of Soil Health Advocates: Expand the community of passionate soil health advocates by providing a platform for networking, learning, and collaboration.
Promote Entrepreneurship: Encourage youth to explore entrepreneurial opportunities within the green skills portfolio, supporting sustainable agricultural practices and economic growth
Attract investments in youth-led projects for soil health: Introduce donors to opportunities for micro-financing youth-led projects. Youth often work with highly limited resources; this event will facilitate connections.
Purpose
A recent #YouthSoil Brief highlights several avenues for youth to meaningfully engage and get involved in scaling soil health including Awareness Raising, Innovation & Technology, Policy Advocacy, Community Engagement, Education and Science & Research.
In light of this, the #Youth4Soil Solutions Showcase Webinar series serves as a vital platform to amplify youth voices, attract potential donors, and increase visibility for impactful soil health initiatives. By promoting collaboration, showcasing successes, and encouraging innovative solutions, this webinar aims to create a robust network of young soil health advocates dedicated to driving positive environmental and social change. This solutions showcase will highlight the efforts of young leaders towards landscape restoration and building ecosystem resilience.
Why Attend?
Be Inspired by Youth Leadership: Witness the passion and ingenuity of young leaders who are driving change in soil health
Discover Practical Solutions: Explore innovative, actionable, and scalable solutions that can be implemented in various contexts, from urban gardens to rural farms.
Empower Yourself: Whether you’re a student, farmer, researcher, or simply someone who cares about the planet, this webinar will equip you with the knowledge and tools to make a difference.
Target Audience
Donors
Research organizations
Potential partners (youth to youth / youth to organisations)
The panel will reflect upon the following points
What is #Youth4Soil?
What role are you(th) playing to promote soil health, combat desertification and mitigate the effects of Drought?
Why is youth action important for strengthening soil health, combating desertification, and enhancing resilience against drought?
What are the most effective ways to engage with and empower youth?
About #Youth4Soil
Youth4Soil is a soil health mentorship initiative led by CA4SH and partners to foster relationships between organizations, and create a network of youth advocates who are supported by the Coalition through skill building, professional counseling, networking, and more.
This initiative seeks to leverage the extensive partnership that CA4SH holds to highlight the important role that youth play in soil health advocacy and action, connect young professionals with mentors and also to facilitate opportunities that enable youth soil health advocates to attend international dialogues.