Julia Roberts urges consumers worldwide to help Save Our Soils
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 16 June 2015 - ‘By the time you've read this, 9,378 m² of fertile soil has been destroyed.’ This is the message being delivered by Julia Roberts as she becomes the latest in a line of
international VIP's to express support for the Save Our Soils initiative.
Julia Roberts becomes the latest ‘Soilebrity’ to back the Save Our Soils campaign, which aims to alert consumers to urgent need to end irresponsible farming practices
The Hollywood actress has this week become the newest face of Save Our Soils, following in the footsteps of respected names, including the Dalai Lama, Bishop Desmond Tutu,
activist Vandana Shiva and conservationist Douglas Tompkins. Many of them will be speaking at the forthcoming Celebrating Soil! Celebrating Life! conference, which takes place from 26-27 June in Amsterdam.
With 30 football fields of soil being lost every minute to irresponsible farming practices, the UN-backed Save Our Soils initiative aims to inform consumers about the urgent need to halt the loss of irreplaceable soils.
Save Our Soils has recently launched the 'I like organic’ campaign which encourages consumers to buy organic in order to save soils. By ‘liking’ the Save Our Soils Facebook page or the campaign website saveoursoils.com, consumers can participate online.
Each ‘like’ will release €5 from the Save Our Soils Fund, enough to save 500m² of fertile soil. By sharing her picture, Julia Roberts is encouraging consumers to join in and buy
organic food.
Celebrating Soil
The Celebrating Soil! Celebrating Life! congress, which is being held in Amsterdam in two weeks’ time, is another key element of the Save Our Soils campaign. The event is seeking to make people aware of the importance of fertile soils and the threat to soils worldwide. Royalty, conservationists, spiritual leaders and business leaders will unite in Amsterdam to speak about the central importance of soils for the survival of mankind. Speakers will include Vandana Shiva, Douglas Tompkins and Princess Irene of the Netherlands, among many others.
Dutch entrepreneur Volkert Engelsman, CEO of Nature & More / Eosta, who initiated the Save Our Soils campaign and congress, said: “We want to support growers to develop sustainable farming practices and save soil fertility.
“Likewise, we want to encourage consumers to buy sustainably farmed organic food and be con-scious of production methods. There can be no sustainability without transparency. Saving the world’s soils is essential not just for our wellbeing, but for the survival of future generations.”
About Save Our Soils
The Save our Soils campaign (www.saveoursoils.com) was set up by Dutch organic fresh produce specialist Nature & More and the FAO (Food & Agricultural organisation of the United Nations) in order to raise awareness about the importance of healthy soils¹. The campaign has been boosted by celebrity endorsements from the likes of the Dalai Lama, the former Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Charles, Prince of Wales.
Launched in February 2015, the Save Our Soils Fund has so far raised €200,000 to assist farmers worldwide in saving soil fertility through composting workshops, research into best practices, and promoting cooperation and knowledge exchange.
By engaging consumers in a positive manner through the ‘I Like Organic’ campaign, Save Our Soils hopes to reach millions with the important message that urgent action is needed to protect soils to secure the world’s food supply.
The Celebrating Soil! Celebrating Life! congress, which takes place as part of the 2015 International Year of Soils and the Save Our Soils campaign, will be staged at Amsterdam’s Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) from 26-27 June. For more information, please visit: www.celebratingsoil.com².
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NOTES:
1. Further information can be found at: http://www.saveoursoils.com/soilution/sosfund.html
2. The congress is now fully booked, but media tickets are still available for journalists.
Contact for information or images:
Eosta / Nature & More - Michaël Wilde
T: +31 (0)180 63 53 63
M: +31 (0)6 20535063