A royal flourish of environmental stewardship graced the lush landscapes of Khao Hin Son Royal Development Study Centre in the quaint district of Phanom Sarakham, Chachoengsao. It was a ceremony drenched in regal charm and ecological promise, as Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn donned the honorable mantle of the United Nations to bestow a prestigious accolade upon the Soil and Fertilizer Society (SFS). This celebratory Tuesday was marked by pomp and grandeur, with the society reveling in the international spotlight of commendation.
The SFS, a bastion of soil preservation, was lauded for its exemplary efforts in championing the bedrock of all life on earth – soil. Rapeepat Chantarasriwong, the esteemed director-general of the Agriculture Department who also helms the SFS, proudly attested to the society’s zealous work. The SFS has been adeptly spearheading Thailand’s crusade to realize the United Nations’ 17th sustainable development goals (SDGs) through an initiative enchantingly dubbed “Partnerships to Achieve the Goal.”
In the verdant embrace of the centre, amid the hum of nature’s own orchestra, the SFS basked in the glow of the King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award, received on the auspicious occasion of the society’s decade-long journey of soil advocacy. This accolade, alongside a bountiful cheque of US$15,000, is a homage to those venerable individuals and institutions whose groundbreaking work in soil research and refinement cast ripples across the globe, urging humanity to tend to the earth with the care it deserves.
The United Nations General Assembly, in a testament to soil’s significance, anointed December 5 as World Soil Day back in 2013, honoring the monumental soil stewardship legacies of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The late monarch’s vision weaved the tapestry of sustainability firmly into the daily lives and toils of countless souls, embodying the very essence of environmental wisdom.
A veritable who’s who of soil science luminaries have had the honor of grasping this award in prior years. From the Costa Rican Soil Science Society’s triumph in 2019, to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s moment in the 2020 limelight, and the recent accolades draped upon Mexican soil maestros Elizabeth Rebolledo and Axel Gonzalez in 2022, the echelon of World Soil Day laureates is nothing less than stellar.
As Princess Sirindhorn’s graceful presence bestowed the award, the gathering was reminded that each granule of soil is a universe unto itself, teeming with life, potential, and the stories of civilizations past and yet to come. The SFS, now armed with recognition and renewed zeal, is poised to continue its crucial work, ensuring that the soil beneath our feet remains as undying as the stars above.
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