The Soil Health Institute (SHI) will unveil the Soil Health Action Plan at 9 a.m., May 18, at the First Amendment Lounge, National Press Club, Washington, DC. The nationwide plan evolved after four years of stakeholder input, beginning with the Soil Renaissance in 2013. Agricultural industry thought leaders, farmers, ranchers, scientists, government agency leaders, and non-governmental organizations provided input into the plan, which will be used to drive advancements in soil health.

Speakers will include:
– Wayne Honeycutt, President and CEO of the Soil Health Institute
– Bill Buckner, President and CEO of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
– Keith Alverson, 6th generation farmer and National Corn Growers Association board member
– Leonard Jordan, Acting Chief of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
– Jerry Lynch, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer of General Mills
– Michael Doane, Director of Working Lands, The Nature Conservancy

Agricultural and conservation leaders indicate soil health must emerge as the cornerstone of land use management decisions throughout the world during the 21st century, in part, due to increased extreme weather events, increased demand for food to sustain a growing population, and the decrease in arable farmland. Enhancing soil health allows us to improve water quality, increase drought resilience, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve farm economies, provide pollinator habitat, and better positions us to feed the nine billion people expected by 2050.