The fifth Global Soil Partnership Plenary Assembly highlights the importance of soils for food security, climate resilience, and poverty alleviation, while promoting World Soil Day (WSD) to raise global awareness about soil significance. The document outlines extensive communication efforts, including social media engagement, printed materials, and international events that celebrate soil health and educate the public. Looking ahead, the partnership aims to continue its outreach with planned themes for future celebrations and encourages collaboration and financial support from member countries to enhance soil conservation efforts.

1. Fifth GLOBAL SOIL PARTNERSHIP
Plenary Assembly
World Soil Day
Communication Campaign
Isabelle VERBEKE
Global Soil Partnership Secretariat
Land and Water division | FAO

5. GSP Communicates:
How crucial SOILS are to…
 feeding the planet;
 sequestering carbon;Soil is silent and
needs a voice …  promoting agricultural production and
poverty alleviation,
 and providing a growing population
with safe, healthy and nutritious
food (such as pulses)
DAILY, ALL ALONG THE YEAR
We exchange and interact with OUR AUDIENCE as
much as possible: on Social Media, through
Emails, Material & Photos Exchanges, and Event
Registrations…

6. through
the Soils Portal &
Global Soil Partnership:
 About 5/10 Highlights per month;
 Calendar of GSP Events and general soil
events;
 New Communication Material (Key-
Messages, Infographics, Videos, Press
Releases);
 GSP Publications and Technical Material
 New Webpages;
 Special Announcements through a
professional email marketing software;
 Tight collaboration with the FAO
communication department which help us
disseminate further on major events, new
publications (posts, tweets, photos,
infographics and video on corporate
social media…;)
WE COMMUNICATE:
During the year,

7. INTERNATIONAL
RECOGNITION
World Soil Day (WSD)
objectives are:
 To connect people with soils
 To raise awareness on the critical
importance of soils in our lives
YEARS after years …
GROWING attention
and celebrations
thanks to the work
done...
4th
year celebrating WSD
as an international day
following adoption by
the UN GA in December
2013

8. The 2016 theme
Soils and Pulses, Symbiosis for Life
focused international attention on the positive
contributions pulses exert on soil properties.
They fix the atmosphere nitrogen and improve
soil biodiversity, fertility and structure...
In celebration of the synergy between IYS 2015 and IYP
2016:
• the new book Soils & Pulses: Symbiosis for life
(simultaneously launched on the occasion of WSD 2016 at
FAO Hq in Rome and at UN Hq in New York).
•A video illustrating the strategic alliance
between Soils and Pulses
WE USE:
Communication Channels
PRINTED & DISTRIBUTED in 20 COUNTRIES
GLOBAL DIFFUSION (Social, YouTube Channel)
 PUBLICATIONs
 SOCIAL MEDIA
 VIDEOs
 COMMUNICATION
MATERIALs
 WEBSITES
 NEWSLETTER
 Press releases
 Speeches
Among others:
VGSSM Endorsed by the 155th FAO
Council! EN | FR | ES | ZH | RU | AR

9. Campaign Material is
distributed on a global scale:WE USE:
Campaign Materials
Printed OUT and
DIFFUSED all
AROUND the
GLOBE
-
Social Media:
SOILS POSTS are
among the
most liked
1. High Definition files of communication
material made available for download
languages in various FAO official and non
official languages
2. Megaposter (Official WSD poster in various
formats);
3. WSD Logo (Available in several languages);
4. Megabanner (200 x 200 cm ..);
5. T-shirts;
6. Infographics;
7. Postcards (9 posters cards in various forms
and 3 languages);
8. Videos (Soil & Pulses, Worldwide Events,
First Glinka Award) and educational material
9. Web banners & Buttons;
10. World Soil Day in Pictures Worldwide (+ 3
Flickr galleries) thanks to a call made to our
global mailing list

14. Gadgets
were prepared
& distributed during
WSD official celebrations &
shipped
 Pendrive
 Bag

15. WE USE:
Campaign Materials
WE APPLY:
Standards and
…. good practices
 our Web Traffic :
Has its peakduring WSD
 Press Coverage: More than
300 articles on soils for WSD
2016 (picked up by FAO media corporate
analytics)
i.e.: It increased by 80% for
WSD, 5th
December

16. 4,100 likes+300 shares
8,300 likes+800 shares
our FOLLOWERS
Reactions Comments Shares

17. Some Numbers – from 1st Jan to 31st
Dec 2016
WEB Analytics:
SOILS PORTAL +
GSP/WSD WEBSITE
Sessions 580.644
Users 366.937
Page viewers 1.093.266

19. WE USE:
Campaign Materials
WE DELIVER:
Outputs
4 Official Events in FAO and UN Hq,
in Regional Offices and..
 The Rome Event: “Soils and Pulses, Symbiosis
for Life” & launch of the Book “Soils and
Pulses” + Glinka Prize;
 The New York Event: Eminent Dignitaries gathered
at the UN hq in New York City to celebrate UN
World Soil Day;
 The Moscow Event: Eurasian Soil
Partnership, World Bank and Academies,
Conferences and Soil Parades.
“On World Soil Day, I call for greater
attention to the pressing issues
affecting soils, including climate
change, antimicrobial resistance, soil-
borne diseases, contamination,
nutrition and human health”
UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon
“Healthy soils are fundamental to
produce clean water, preserve
biodiversity, and increase resilience to
the impacts of climate change,
especially for poor family farmers of
developing countries”
FAO
Director-General, Josè Graziano da
Silva
In the meanwhile
Worldwide
More than 150 Events registered
on the Interactive Map …
 COP13 in Cancun

20. WSD in Thailand
Special Celebrations WSD2016
THAILAND:

23. Again, WSD was THE day to
celebrate
extraordinary
stories about
global soils...
#Do not forget to share with us
your successes by sending for
example pictures of your event
which will be uploaded on our
growing flickr photogallery…”
Over 200 photos from all over the
worldwith the best photos uploaded
in the World Soil Day photo gallery
WE DELIVER:
Outputs
It includes lectures, workshops, soil
parades, poems, childrens’ workshops,
soil-shaped cake baking parties, tree-
planting ceremonies, conferences,
round-table discussions and seminars

27. * 2017 Edition of the Glinka World Soil Prize;
*GSOC Map released
* New Official and Worldwide Events
* New Exciting Communication Materials
*Brand–new Website World Soil Day+ FAQs
*Black Soils Photo Contest
*Global Contest on Soil Painting for Universities
*Art and Soil Seminars for kindergarden
*Targeted Initiatives for Children
*Children Book on Soil with Labs
*Heart and Soil Art Exhibition
*New Websites (Black Soils, GSOC Map)
and much, much more…to come!
NEW CAMPAIGN! World Soil Day 2017
“Caring for the Planet starts from the
Ground”What to expect
In the next future!
WORK IN PROGRESS
!

31. ! COMMUNICATION | Global Symposium on Soil
Pollution/Contamination
! 2018 Glinka World Soil Prize;
! New Official and Worldwide Events
! New Communication Materials
! More Story-telling on projects and
Advanced Social Campaigns
! Targeted Initiatives to involve a Larger
Audience
! Free Webinar
! SOILS Apps
! New Socials (Thunderclap Campaigns etc..)
! D-Group and Centralized communication
with RP!
! Increase visibility on social media (twitter,
Instagram, linkedIn… )
Proposed World Soil Day 2018 theme:
“Be the solution to soil pollution”
we can make more !
What to expect
WSD 2018
SUPPORT US!

32. Thank you for your help in spreading the important
message we hope to
disseminate through #WSD2017!
Our RESULTS: We are all excited to continue
exchanging ideas and experiences
on how we can best
communicate one of our most
valuable natural resources while
simultaneously strengthening food
security

33. Suggested action by the GSP
Plenary Assembly
 take note of the successful WSD
celebration on 5th December 2016 and the
programme foreseen for WSD 2017;
 endorse the theme proposed for WSD
2018;
 encourage member countries and
partners to organize WSD celebrations
using the 2017 and 2018 themes;
 invite resource partners to financially
contribute to the implementation of the
sustained communication plan envisaged
by the Secretariat.
The Plenary Assembly may wish to