Soil experts and farmers to connect at Waite for World Soil Day
South Australia’s soil research and agricultural communities will come together at Adelaide University’s Waite Campus in December for a South Australian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SA Drought Hub) event as part of World Soil Day.
The Building Soil Community World Soil Day 2026 networking event on Thursday 3 December is an opportunity for agricultural advisers, extension officers, producers, land managers and soil researchers to hear the latest local soil research, exchange practical knowledge and build connections.
World Soil Day is held globally on 5 December and is coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). According to the FAO, 95 per cent of food comes from soils and soil is home to nearly 59 per cent of Earth’s species.
However, producing just two to three centimetres of soil can take up to 1,000 years.
SA Drought Hub Regional Soils Coordinator Lucy Porter said the Building Soil Community event aims to build greater understanding of the communities beneath our feet with the people working to understand and manage them.
“Building soil communities is about both the organisms that support soil function and the people who research, advise on and manage our soils,” Ms Porter said.
“In SA, looking after soil is central for farming systems to stay productive during dry seasons.
“Our primary producers have made real progress over decades by adopting better practices that come from research which is worth celebrating.”
The South Australian Department of Environment and Water reports that soil erosion on agricultural land has steadily declined over the past 70 years and wheat water use efficiency has also more than doubled since 1970 as farming practices improved.
“This event is an opportunity for the state’s soil community to discuss the challenges people are seeing in the paddock and explore new knowledge with local researchers,” Ms Porter said.
Guest presentations and interactive demonstrations will explore soil microbiomes and ecological communities, regenerative farming practices, the role of research extension and soil stewardship. There will also be time for networking and a soil cake.
“We encourage anyone who works with soils or supports producers to come along and share their experience, ask questions and meet people whose expertise can support their work,” Ms Porter said.
Building Soil Community – World Soil Day 2026 will be held at the Charles Hawker Building, Waite, Urrbrae, on Thursday 3 December 2026.
Register via SA Drought Hub.
For more information on World Soil Day, visit: Home | World Soil Day | FAO
The South Australian World Soil Day networking event is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust.
ABOUT THE SA DROUGHT HUB
The South Australian Drought Hub brings together a dynamic network of primary producers, industry groups, researchers, government agencies, universities, agribusinesses, farming systems groups, traditional owners, and others to strengthen the drought resilience and preparedness of farms and regional communities in SA.
Led by Adelaide University in partnership with the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, South Australia (PIRSA), the hub is responsible for driving extension of existing knowledge and practices to build drought resilience and preparedness in primary production systems.
The South Australian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub is one of eight Hubs established across the nation through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
For media interviews contact:
Rachel Harding
M: 0400 848 066