Centennial Celebration and Congress of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS)
"100 years of soil science past achievements and future challenges"
Florence (Italy), 19-21 May 2024
Deadline extended to 31 January 2024
Theme: Soil and humanity
Session 132332 "Soil science and geoethics: Contributing to create a more sustainable society"
Conveners: Silvia Peppoloni (Italy), Anna Krzywoszynska (Finland), Giuseppe Di Capua (Italy)
Description:
Managing soil is central to human societies, and soil impoverishment through anthropic overexploitation is a global threat in time of global ecological crisis. Consequently, soil science is increasingly fundamental in creating a sustainable and eco-friendly society. In this session, we wish to reflect on the ethical importance of soil science work at the service of human well-being while respecting ecosystem elements and dynamics. We specifically refer to geoethics: an ethics of responsibility towards the Earth system, which can provide a reference framework in decision-making and problem-solving. What are the ethical obligations of soil science in relation to societal and ecological well-being? What ethical values underpin soil science today and throughout history? Do we need to rethink geoethics in the Anthropocene? How do we embed social and ecological ethics in soil science teaching and practice? Soil scientists face critical ethical issues and dilemmas in their professional and civic roles as they search for answers to the following critical questions aiming to find a balance in serving society, fostering public trust in soil science, and protecting ecosystems:
How to manage soils in responsible ways and support the life of billions of human beings without losing soil productivity, nutrients and biodiversity?
How to interact in a just and equitable way with indigenous cultures and knowledge systems in soil management?
What can we learn from history of soil science for trying to avoid errors in soil use and management in a world of changing climate?
How has soil scientist’s societal role changed in the last decades and how can it evolve in the future?
This session aims to stimulate reflections by collecting disciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary contributions on ethical aspects of soil sciences, aiming to enrich the discussion of the soil scientist community on problems related to intra-disciplinary questions, soil science-society interface, the future of soil science in the Anthropocene. It is a joint session between IUSS and International Association for Promoting Geoethics (IAPG).
Calendar of IAPG events on geoethics:
IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics: