SOIL resources in Fiji require the same attention as above ground biodiversity.

This was the message from the director for the land resources division at the Secretariat of Pacific Community, Inoke Ratukalou, as Fiji marked World Soil Day on Friday.

“Soil is the reservoir for at least a quarter of global biodiversity and therefore requires the same attention as above ground biodiversity,” Mr Ratukalou said.

He said soil had been the basis for human life and had been neglected for too long.

“We fail to connect soil with our food, water, climate, biodiversity and life. We must change this tendency and need to take up some preservation and restoration actions. Soil plays a key role in the supply of clean water resilience to floods and droughts.

“The largest store of terrestrial carbon is in the soil so its preservation will contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation.”

Mr Ratukalou said the maintenance and enhancement of global soil resources was essential if humanity’s need for food, water and energy security was to be met.

“In the Pacific the productivity and sustainability of many cropping systems is threatened by a decline in the fertility, structure and biological health of soils.”

He said there was a need to reintroduce traditional knowledge of actively managing and investing in organic residues, which had been lost.

“In the Pacific the volcanic islands’ soil fertility was traditionally maintained through long bush fallow periods.”