On Wednesday, participants in the Global Symposium on Soil Pollution (GSOP18) met in a plenary session to hear opening remarks, presentations setting the scientific scene for GSOP18, keynote and invited speakers, as well as reports from regional soil partnerships. Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General, Climate and Natural Resources, FAO, emphasized that healthy soils make healthy foods, noting that soils are responsible for 95% of global food production and a quarter of the world’s biodiversity.

Illar Lemetti, Deputy Minister of Rural Affairs, Estonia, noted the role of waste in releasing harmful chemicals in soil, water, and air, affecting our ability to live healthy lives. Niu Dun, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of China to FAO, shared China’s activities on soil pollution and efforts on soil contamination remediation and prevention. Carlos Martin-Novella, Deputy Executive Secretary, Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions (BRS Conventions), highlighted increased environmental pressures due to population growth, noting that in order to achieve SDG 12.4 (environmentally sound management of chemicals and wastes), increased international coordination and action will be needed.

Astrid Schomaker, Director, Global Sustainable Development, European Commission, lamented that soil pollution is not high in the international policy agenda and stressed the need for further research, especially on emerging contaminants, including micro-plastics, nano-materials and anti-microbial resistance. Noting that the meeting has attracted more than 500 participants from 100 countries, René Castro Salazar, Assistant Director-General, Climate, Biodiversity, Land, and Water Department, FAO, introduced the Symposium, presenting its objectives, structure, and expected outcome.

Highlights of the day also included:

• Launching of the book “Soil pollution: a hidden reality” that has been developed within the GSOP18 framework, identifying the main knowledge gaps and serving as a basis for future discussions
• Presentations from invited speakers on the four Symposium themes
• Five keynote presentations, providing rich information on different aspects of soil pollution
• Six regional soil partnership reports, revealing realities on the ground at the regional level
• Luca Montanarella, Chair, Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS), highlighted the 2017 Global Assessment of the Impact of Plant Protection Products on Soil Functions and Soil Ecosystems, the first contribution towards GSOP18 as part of the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management

In the evening, participants attended a poster session, in parallel with an interpretative dance on soil pollution, followed by a cocktail reception.