The June 4, 2024, symposium, “Future Proofing: Unified Action for Soil Health and Food Security,” is a celebration of IFDC’s 50th Anniversary, looking to a more secure future with our collaborating partners and colleagues to ensure healthier soils, more nutritious plants, and more prosperous people on a thriving planet. On November 4, 2024, IFDC will host the second symposium in the series in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, to continue these conversations.

IFDC has been researching, innovating, and scaling improvements for soil health and plant nutrition for 50 years. Never in our history has there been a moment like this. Now is the time for national and global leaders to take bold actions to transform soil health if we are to eradicate human hunger and poverty, while preserving current biodiversity and restoring land currently under cultivation.

The DC symposium occurs just a month after the African Union’s Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) I Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. Government organizations, private sector, international development partners are eager to support the African Union’s Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan and regional roadmaps, within the framework of the Soil Initiative for Africa. The Symposium offers a space to capture that enthusiasm, sustain the momentum of the Summit, and offer a space for exploring ideas while the AU mobilizes resources and communicates their next steps to a global audience.