ARC2020 Seed Ball Action at Global Soil Week


photo : iisd

“Losing Ground?” was the theme of the second Global Soil Week, which took place  in Berlin from 27-31 October. The event brought together more than 450 scientists, policy makers and practitioners from 71 countries to discuss the sustainable management of soils. Read more about the significance of this key global issue Global Soil Week’s website.

ARC2020 was invited to participate in the Action Forum, where participants had a chance to get their hands ‘dirty’ and really ‘dig’ into the issues through a variety of different activities. We set up a Seed Ball Action, bringing fresh soil and all kinds of different seeds and encouraging people roll up their sleeves and roll their own seed balls. These guerilla gardening balls can be used across cities to add colour and provide nourishment for bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. The seeds are well-protected within the balls until they are put somewhere suitable for them to sprout; they can be kept dry over the winter and thrown into action in the spring, or placed around the city now to will freeze and thaw when ready.  The Seed Ball Action at global soil week was also a great chance to get people thinking and talking about the soils from which their food grows and the significance of their degradation.

We were very excited by all the interest in our latest project, 2000m², which looks at each person’s plot from the global surface of arable land if it were to be divided evenly. Below, Anneke Trux from the German development organisation GIZ, holding up one of our seed balls to help illustrate the interlinkages between soil, water, climate, and food.

photo : iisd