World Soil Day celebraon “Stop soil erosion, Save our future ” 5 December 2019 (13:00 - 14:00) Sheikh Zayed Centre, FAO HQ | Rome, Italy Soils are fundamental to life on Earth. Their protecon is of utmost importance to ensure the future of food. But soil erosion is pung our producve land in danger by removing the highly ferle topsoil. Soil erosion – the number one threat to the Planet’s soils - literally washes our topsoil away, down streams, rivers, into lakes and blows soil parcles across oceans. While it occurs naturally everywhere, unsustainable human acvies significantly increase natural rates. Since 95% of the food comes from soils, erosion migaon is crical for a sustainable and food secure world. During the celebraon, RECSOIL: Recarbonizaon of Global Soils, a sustainable and cost-effecve answer to climate change, will be officially launched. The Glinka World Soil Prize and King Bhumibol WSD Award will be awarded for the efforts towards the promoon of sustainable soil management and the most outstanding event organized for WSD 2018. 13:00 - 13:05 Opening by Ms Maria Helena Semedo, FAO’s Deputy Director-General for Climate and Natural resources 13:05 - 13:15 Opening remarks by H.E. Victor Vasiliev, Permanent Representave of the Russian Federaon to FAO and H.E. Thanawat Tiensin, Chair of the CFS and Permanent Representave of the Kingdom of Thailand to FAO 13:15 - 13:25 Delivery of the Award of the Glinka World Soil Prize to Professor Xu Minggang by Ms Maria Helena Semedo and H.E. Victor Vasiliev 13:25 - 13:40 Keynote address by Prof. Xu Minggang, the Laureate of the Glinka World Soil Prize 2019 13:40 - 13:45 “Stop soil erosion, save our future” (video) and launch of the Soil loss Atlas of Malawi 13:45 - 13:55 Launch of “RECSOIL: Recarbonizaon of global soils”, Mr Eduardo Mansur, Director Land and Water division, FAO 13:55 - 14:00 King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award 2019 (video) 14:00 - 14:10 Closure of the event with the Kid’s chorus of Piazza Viorio Moderator: Ms Isabelle Verbeke, Global Soil Partnership, FAO Light Thai refreshments will be kindly offered by the Kingdom of Thailand from 12:30 to 13:00 Simultaneous interpretaon will be provided in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish Agenda