This World Soil Day (5 December 2025), the Mission Soil is partnering with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and its Global Soil Partnership to celebrate the theme Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities. Together, they invite young people, educators, scientists and creatives to take part in two exciting contests that highlight the role of urban soils in making our cities greener, cooler and more resilient.
Soil in 1 minute – video contest
How can we explain the magic of urban soils in just one minute? The Soil in 1 minute video contest challenges scientists, educators and creative minds worldwide to make short, engaging videos for children aged 8–15. Using simple language and visuals, participants are invited to show how healthy soils help cities thrive – from cooling streets and reducing floods to supporting urban farming and biodiversity.
The top entries will be showcased on FAO’s social media platforms, with the winners announced during the official World Soil Day celebration on 5 December.
Submit your video by 10 November 2025 and help inspire the next generation of soil stewards.
Learn more about 'Soil in 1 minute'.
Tiny soil detectives – youth contest
The Tiny soil detectives contest invites children and young people (8–15 years old) to explore the hidden life beneath their feet. Through hands-on experiments and creative detective reports, young participants will uncover how soil shapes daily life in cities – cooling streets, absorbing water and supporting biodiversity even in the smallest pavement cracks.
Every participant who completes three experiments will receive a Tiny Soil Detective certificate, and the most creative reports will be featured during the World Soil Day 2025 celebration.
Join the investigation and submit your detective report by 10 November 2025.
Find out more about 'Tiny soil detectives'.
The winners will be announced on 5 December 2025 during the official WSD celebration.
For more information about the contest, visit the official Global Soil Partnership website.