Rules beneath our feet

International level

At the international level, soil is recognised within several environmental frameworks, although there is no single binding global convention dedicated solely to soil.

Instead, soil is addressed through broader agreements and initiatives linked to land degradation, biodiversity, food systems, and climate change.

Examples include the:

• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• FAO Global Soil Partnership

These frameworks help establish shared priorities, support international cooperation, and raise awareness of soil degradation as a global issue. However, their implementation usually depends on national governments. In practice, this means that global recognition of soil problems does not automatically lead to effective local soil protection.

© International cooperation for soil governance, by USDAgov, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons, no changes were made to the original photo.