At last year's Merrell Hobbit Trail Runs, hosted by Mountain Runner Events, finishers of the 90km Hobbit Wayfarer did not receive a traditional medal. There was no metal disc stamped and ribboned to hang around the neck. Instead, runners were gifted something alive: an indigenous tree, planted nearby on their behalf.

The Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) Kenya invited the Soil and Land Health Theme at the Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) to take part in the YPARD–Kenya Farmers’ Festival 2026, held on 13 March 2026 at Mamboleo Farm.

This past January marked ten years since Soil4Climate was officially incorporated in the United States — the beginning of our journey to champion soil restoration as a powerful climate solution.

Introducing “Common Ground Redux” the free educational edition of the award-winning film “Common Ground” (@commongroundfilm) - available to watch now and host screenings! This 45 minute documentary shares insight and testimony from farmers, ranchers, educators, and advocates facing the challenges of our current food and farm systems and creating positive impact from regenerative agriculture practices.

The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) has launched the 2025-2034 Decade of Soil Sciences for Sustainable Development (DSSSD). The Research Forum of the IUSS, in collaboration with the Executive Committee and the Council, will play a crucial role in enabling activities during this period, promoting research and innovation on sustainable soil management.

On 5th February 2026, at the M’kango Golfview Hotel in Lusaka, young professionals, researchers, educators, civil society leaders, and government representatives gathered for a networking and sharing event hosted by the Research for Agroecology Network Southern Africa (RAENS). This event was held to bring together research, teaching and practice to advance agroecology.

Poppy Flint’s love for soil formed through a combination of organic horticulture training at OrganicLea, developing training on natural flood management for the rivers trust, Thames21, and working on sustainable food and climate education. As the web formed in her mind of the cycles, functions and social fabric that soil holds, her appreciation expanded beyond food growing and nutrients to seeing it as a crucial biological and physical global regulatory system. The results are a series of relatable stories in ecological, agricultural and climate research, translated into interactive, educational and playful experiences.

On 17 February 2026, the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) launched the call for applications for the 2026 #Youth4Soil Mentorship Programme in an online info session.

Regional leaders, scientists, policymakers, and development partners gathered at the ICRAF Campus in Nairobi on January 27–28, 2026 for the inception workshop of a groundbreaking initiative: Establishing an ecosystem of soil data-driven services to meet the Global Fertilizer and Soil Health Challenge. The workshop was anchored in the three‑year project titled “Establishing an Ecosystem of Soil Data-Driven Services to Meet the Global Fertilizer and Soil Health Challenge.” The initiative is implemented by CIFOR-ICRAF and the Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH) in collaboration with the Varda Foundation, with financial support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). It builds on a soil knowledge exchange pilot conducted in 2024 in Kenya and Tanzania, which identified key barriers and opportunities for strengthening collaborative soil data ecosystems 

To commemorate World Wetlands Day 2026, on February 2, 2026 leading youth networks convened a high-level virtual webinar titled “Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage through Youth Action for Food Systems and Climate Resilience.”

The event was convened by the Sustainable Food Systems Youth Foundation (SFSYF) in collaboration with World Food Forum (WFF) Nigeria, Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) Nigeria, LCOY Nigeria, Biodiversity Rescue Club, and partner youth organizations, with technical and promotional collaboration from the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

On 27–28 January 2026, young agrifood system leaders from across Eastern and Southern Africa gathered at the CIFOR-ICRAF Campus in Nairobi for the Soil Health Knowledge Exchange Workshop.

The meeting marked the inception of a three-year initiative, Establishing an Ecosystem of Soil Data-Driven Services to Meet the Global Fertilizer and Soil Health Challenge, implemented by CIFOR-ICRAF in collaboration with the Varda Foundation and supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).

The workshop brought together researchers, policymakers, development partners, civil society, private sector actors, and farmer organizations from Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, and Tanzania to explore how soil data and knowledge can be better shared and used to advance sustainable land management, food security, and resilient agrifood systems. Within this diverse multi-stakeholder space, the YPARD played a visible and strategic role in championing youth-centered approaches to soil health action.

As we commemorate World Wetlands Day 2026, let's remind ourselves of how the Wetlands and healthy soils are deeply interconnected, as they function as one integrated system that supports water, climate, biodiversity, and human livelihoods.

Wetlands Conservation Organisation connects wetlands to soil health by restoring wetland soils, protecting soil carbon, applying nature-based solutions, reducing land degradation, empowering communities, and influencing policy.

Twenty years ago in Mali, Tor-Gunnar Vågen and colleagues began experimenting with a methodology to assess and map soil and land health; today, that early work has amplified into a framework with myriad applications for restoration across landscapes.  

Across Africa, large volumes of soil data are collected every year, yet much of this information remains difficult to access, combine, or reuse. Addressing this challenge requires not only better digital tools, but stronger collaboration between the institutions that generate, manage, and use soil data. This was the focus of a two-day technical consultation workshop held in Rome in November 2025, which brought together partners working on the open-source transition of SoilHive.

At UNEA‑7, soil was not just a technical topic — it was recognized as a strategic asset for people, nature, and climate. The side event “Scaling Soil Health for People, Nature, and Climate: From Resolution to Implementation” brought together UNEP, CIFOR‑ICRAF, CA4SH, WWF International, Solutions from the Land, Kenya National Farmers’ Federation and Emerging Ag to explore how global commitments are being translated into national policies and community‑level action and how these can be scaled to achieve more impact for people, nature and climate.

At the twenty-third session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 23) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in Panama City, Panama, young people from around the world gathered to explore how land, food systems, and climate resilience are deeply interconnected. Among the highlights was a keynote conversation with Dr. Barron Joseph Orr, Chief Scientist of the UNCCD, whose work has shaped global understanding of land degradation, drought resilience, and sustainable land management. 

At the twenty-third session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 23) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in Panama City, Panama, the side event “Youth Policy Pathways for Land and Food: Advancing Action on Land Degradation Neutrality” brought together young people, technical experts, and partners to explore the interlinkages between food systems and land, and how youth perspectives can help shape more coherent, inclusive, and actionable approaches to Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). The session was co-hosted by the UNCCD Youth Caucus, World Food Forum (WFF) Global Youth Action Initiative, and Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) Youth4Soil Initiative.

At the recent twenty-third session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 23) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in Panama City, Panama, 15-year-old Angie Michelle Huezo Gámez from El Salvador delivered a powerful and deeply moving intervention. Speaking from lived experience in a region marked by drought, soil degradation, and water scarcity, Angie illuminated how environmental crises shape the lives of children and adolescents, and how young people are already acting to restore land and protect their communities.

Beneath the concrete, beneath the parks, and beneath our very feet lies the silent, vital foundation of our urban future: soil. On December 5th, 2025, this unassuming resource took center stage as youth leaders, scientists, and advocates from across Nigeria and beyond convened virtually for a powerful World Soil Day webinar. The message was unified and urgent: Healthy soils are non-negotiable for building healthy, resilient, and sustainable cities.

Across every continent, from UK farmland to the Amazon rainforest, nature has engineered one of the most advanced biological pest-control systems on Earth. These defenders are not insects, birds, or fungi—they are entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs): microscopic worms that track, infect and eliminate destructive soil-dwelling insect pests using a level of precision that rivals modern technology.

Advances such as Bionema’s encapsulated formulation technology are unlocking new global potential, making it possible to use these microscopic hunters in countries and climates where traditional formulations have failed.