In accordance with its objectives and Statute, the Serbian Society of Soil Science adopts declarative documents that represent the official professional position of SDPZ, as a professional community, on issues of importance for soil science and practice.

These documents include the Declaration on Soil, resolutions of the Society and conclusions, as well as guidelines and recommendations arising from the work of scientific committees and events organised by the Society.
SDPZ documents serve to raise awareness, initiate change, support public advocacy and contribute to relevant initiatives.

In addition, they provide a reference basis for citation in the preparation of planning and professional documents, as well as project proposals.
All official SDPZ documents are available for download and use by all interested parties, with mandatory citation of the source.

The Declaration on Soil, as the overarching declarative document of SDPZ, was formally signed on 10 September 2015 at Rimski Šančevi, within the scientific and professional meeting „Sustainable Soil Use“, dedicated to marking the International Year of Soils. This gathering represented the official response of the Republic of Serbia to the international initiative of the United Nations.

The text of the Declaration had previously been harmonised and adopted by all members of the Society in 2015. The Declaration represents a shared ethical, professional and social framework for action in the protection and improvement of soil.

The Declaration was signed by representatives of the competent ministries of agriculture and science, the Serbian Society of Soil Science and the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad, in the presence of representatives of the business sector. In this way, a clear message was sent about the shared responsibility of institutions, science and the economy for soil conservation in the Republic of Serbia.

The meeting was organised by the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, in cooperation with SDPZ, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and with the support of the business sector.

Text of the Declaration:

Soil is an unrenewable natural resource. Its multiple roles are a key factor for survival of life on the planet. Due to ever growing demands and pressures on the soil, we adopt this:

DECLARATION ON SOIL

Our professional and social activities shall be directed towards sustainable soil use and we shall support the following:

  • Long-term strategy and planned approach aimed at preservation of soil quantity and quality with harmonization of all its environmental, economic and social roles;
  • Integrated soil protection within institutions, through horizontal and vertical affiliation of all persons who study, manage and use soil;
  • Application of scientific and technological achievements that contribute towards: preservation of soil quality, soil protection from all aspects of its degradation, preservation of biodiversity, decrease of soil erosion, preservation of organic matter in the soil, limiting the reduction of fertile soil, strengthening the capacities for adaptation to climatic changes and other extreme climatic conditions and disasters;
  • Establishment of soil monitoring system and regular monitoring of soil quality indicators;
  • Implementation of all available preventive measures to avoid soil pollution and degradation induced by natural or anthropogenic processes, and implementation of measures to promote recovery, remediation and reclamation of degraded soils;

We shall generously share our knowledge and experience, emphasizing multidisciplinary approach in sustainable soil use. We shall direct our activities towards education of the future generations and raising public awareness on multiple roles of soil for the benefit of the society.

We appeal to all people to use their conscience and knowledge to help save the soil, which is our home and food provider, for the ones left on it!

Adopted and signed in Novi Sad on 10 September 2015

Recommended citation:
Serbian Society of Soil Science (SDPZ). (2015). Declaration on Soil.