(Source: https://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/resources/highlights/detail/en/c/1530144/)

If you have organized an outstanding World Soil Day event for the 2021 campaign ‘Halt soil salinization, boost soil poductivity’, don’t miss the chance to win the King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award, edition 2022. The Global Soil Partnership (GSP) is pleased to invite all participants to last year campaign to apply.

Launched in 2018, the King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award acknowledges individuals or institutions that raise public awareness of soils by organising successful and influential World Soil Day celebrations. The award, sponsored by the Kingdom of Thailand, is named after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand for his lifelong commitment to raising awareness of the importance of sustainable soil management and rehabilitation for food security, poverty alleviation and more. 

The award consists of a medal, a USD 15,000 check and a trip to Thailand. The Award Laureate will be honored in Bangkok, Thailand (if feasible), in conjunction with the World Soil Day, 5 December 2022 celebration. This award was created with the purpose of honoring and encouraging organizers of WSD events at all levels.  

The call for application 2022 should be submitted by 1 September 2022 to the GSP Secretariat ([email protected]) in any of the official UN languages. Along with the application form, you are invited to complete and send the following to the GSP Secretariat:   

• High quality photographs (preferably accompanied by captions)
• Videos (showing the work in progress and the results)
• Communication material or any related publications
• Digital coverage (website/web stories/ blog/social media)
• Demonstrated wide appeal in the media (i.e. media coverage and press release)

Organizers must submit testimony of the success/impact their WSD celebration had in their communities as well as their power in raising awareness for the cause of healthy soils. 

Last year, the King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award was conferred to the Nigerian Institute of Soil Science (NISS) for its commitment to raising awareness of the importance of healthy soils.  Particularly during the 2020 World Soil Day celebration, which addressed soil biodiversity under the motto "Protect soil biodiversity, Keep soil alive".  The ceremony took place in Bangkok in January 2022 where the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand officially offered the prize to NISS, Nigeria.

Former winners of the King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award include also Practical Action in Bangladesh in 2018 and the Costa Rican Soil Science Society (AACS) in 2019, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 2020.