From Soil to Communities: How Livelihoods Strengthen Human Rights

In the month of World Soil Day, the Norwegian Human Rights Fund (NHRF) commemorates a decade of tireless efforts led by environmental defenders and local communities in the conservation and regeneration of this vital resource of soil.

Throughout these ten years, important global initiatives have been promoted by many people and communities, which have positioned access to soil as a fundamental right for sustainable development and food sovereignty.

In the framework of our campaign ‘Women who inspire: Voices of resilience from the ground’ we make visible the importance of soil to ensure respect for human rights, especially those social organisations and local communities who are at the forefront of developing initiatives to protect soil, promote the sustainable use of resources and contribute to a more just and resilient future.

Soil at Risk: Global Threats and their Implications

In recent decades, soil has been under constant threat due to erosion, degradation, pollution, compaction, and loss of biodiversity. These threats are the result of destructive practices such as deforestation, monocultures, extensive cattle ranching, urban sprawl, and climate change.

These processes not only affect the environment, but also violate fundamental rights, such as the right to food and a healthy environment. 95% of the world's food production depends directly on soil, yet 75 % of this resource is already degraded, affecting more than 3.2 billion people.

If urgent action is not taken, it is estimated that by 2050 this percentage could reach 90% (UNESCO 2024), putting at risk the basic rights of millions of people, especially in rural communities that depend directly on soil for their livelihoods.

Global Responses to the Soil Crisis

Faced with these challenges, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched the Global Soil Partnership in September 2011, with the aim of promoting sustainable soil management and soil restoration, recognising access to healthy soil as an essential human right.

In July 2022, during the Global Soil Symposium a framework for action was presented with specific targets for 2030, which aim to manage and restore soils, strengthen territorial governance and promote awareness of soil health, ensuring the right to food for the human well-being of the most vulnerable communities.

Another important strategy is the Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI), which, through its focus on deforestation-free land-use policies and production chains, has succeeded in preventing deforestation in key regions of the Global South. By reducing deforestation, NICFI contributes to the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity, while promoting the rights of local communities who depend directly on forests and soil for their livelihoods.

At the same time, the International Land Coalition (ILC) fights globally for land rights, bringing together civil society organisations and advocates to strengthen land governance and ensure that communities can fully exercise and enjoy their rights.

In 2025, the Global Land Forum, a key event promoted by ILC, will be held in Colombia, where NHRF grantee partner the Asociación de Mujeres Productoras de Esencias de Paz (ASMUPROPAZ) will present its experience in one of five field visits.

This visit will include delegations from various countries in the department of Caquetá, Colombia, to learn about the strategy for the defence of the land, within the framework of the ASMUPROPAZ Ruta de Reconciliación al Páramo, an emblematic process that promotes the reconciliation of the civilian population, ex-combatants and nature.

Colombia: Soil Restoration Initiatives

In Colombia, several initiatives are focused on soil improvement. In October 2024, the COP16 on Biodiversity was held, where an action plan was presented for the ecological restoration of 19 million hectares at environmental risk and the reconversion of 5 million hectares to sustainable productive systems (MINAMBIENTE, 2024).

This event was historic, as the resolution of the Public Policy on Agroecology was also signed, marking a transition towards more sustainable and agroecological agricultural models, fundamental to address soil degradation and guarantee the right to food.

The policy is based on four pillars: 1) agroecological knowledge management, 2) agroecological production, 3) sustainable consumption processes and 4) the recovery of ancestral knowledge. It aims to ensure that the transition to agroecology is not only environmentally sustainable, but also socially just, recognising fundamental rights such as food sovereignty and the participation of local communities, especially those historically marginalised.

Access to Soil as a Right

Healthy soil is essential for ensuring food security, preserving biodiversity, regulating water and climate, preventing erosion, and promoting sustainable livelihoods in rural communities. It is also a fundamental right that must be protected and managed equitably, especially for those communities that depend on soil for their well-being. Soil conservation is a matter of social and environmental justice, which is why it is urgent to advance local, governmental, and international cooperation actions to secure land rights and food sovereignty for rural families.

The work of environmental defenders and local leaders is fundamental to protect the land, promote the sustainable use of resources, and strengthen a more just and resilient future.

At NHRF, we believe in the importance of preserving the soil based on the knowledge and wisdom of local communities, which is why we support organisations dedicated to the defence of rights and the conservation of forests.

Keep scrolling down for examples of these experiences and stories from key actors:

The Importance of Soil in Community Life

For Daniela Chocué, facilitator of the Association of Indigenous Councils of Northern Cauca (ACIN), the soil is fundamental for the development of the traditional Nasa Tul production system.

Considered as Mother Nature, the soil is the space where the agricultural, livestock, spiritual and cultural activities of the Nasa people are carried out. This is where the food that guarantees the community's food autonomy is born.

Wilson Pilcué, an ACIN facilitator, underlines the vital importance of the soil for the survival of the Nasa people, stressing that ‘an indigenous person without land is not indigenous’. This statement emphasises how land is essential not only for food and survival, but also for the defence of the fundamental rights of indigenous peoples.

However, the soil in several areas of the ACIN territory faces serious threats. The use of chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, and poisons in monocultures near the resguardos is deteriorating the topsoil, affecting the micro-organisms that inhabit it and contaminates the water.

In response to this threat, ACIN is committed to an agroecological approach that respects both the rights of nature and the health of the community. The organisation promotes the use of organic fertilisers and ecological solutions for pest and disease control, which not only preserves the health of the soil, but also guarantees clean food production, respecting the community's right to consume chemical-free food.

This agro-ecological vision is complemented by the development of their own welfare model based on mutual aid for ‘good living’. In the worldview of the Nasa people, the economy is not defined by the accumulation of capital, but by cooperation and collective well-being. In this way, stewardship of the land transcends the right to land: it becomes a question of environmental and social justice, as well as a commitment to the preservation of ancestral forms of life and organisation.

The ACIN communities are reflecting on how to apply this principle of mutual aid in the 22 territories that make up the organisation, seeking a model that, in addition to guaranteeing food sovereignty, protects the land from external threats such as monocultures and intensive exploitation. Thus, land-use not only seeks self-sufficiency, but also the recognition and defence of the rights of the communities, who have maintained a harmonious relationship with nature for centuries.

Traditions and Ancestral Wisdom for Soil Conservation

Delio Valencia, leader of the Community Council of the Yurumanguí River Basin, in the Pacific coast of Colombia, stresses the importance of conserving the agricultural traditions of the territory, such as the cultivation of papachina, bananas, and all the products of pancoger or food crops.

According to Valencia, by spacing sowings and applying agro-ecological practices, the crop development is improved, and the use of the soil becomes more efficient. This practice not only avoids soil erosion due to crop association, but also improves soil structure, aeration, nutrient and water absorption, and reduces erosion. In this way, soil fertility is maintained in a natural way, which contributes to soil quality and long-term crop sustainability.

This agroecological approach is a fundamental part of Valencia's vision for the future of the territory, who dreams of a Community Council free of mining, illicit crops and monocultures. In his view, a prosperous territory is one in which communities continue to cultivate what they have historically sown, following the legacy of their ancestors.

Crops such as papachina, pepapan, yucca, and plantain have not only ensured a healthy diet, but are also the axis of a sustainable life in harmony with nature. For Valencia, this way of life is not only a way of subsistence, but a right that must be protected against projects that threaten these traditional practices.

The Role of Young People in Soil Conservation

Jani Silva, legal representative of the grantee partner Asociación de Desarrollo Integral Sostenible Perla Amazonia (ADISPA), presents a key proposal for the conservation and protection of the Perla Amazonia Peasant Reserve Zone: the training of young people, who should go out to study, acquire technical knowledge, and then return to the local area to apply it in practice.

This approach is fundamental, as it allows young people to take ownership of their communities’ development process, integrating technical knowledge with the local knowledge transmitted by grandfathers and grandmothers about agriculture and land management. In this way, the combination between technical and local knowledge not only strengthens the identity of the community, but also guarantees the long-term sustainability of the territory.

This process of integration is reflected in the progress made by the region's peasant promoters, who have specialised in areas such as meliponiculture, the creation of agro-ecological vegetable gardens, the preparation of organic fertilisers, the implementation of agroforestry systems, and silage for animal feed. These achievements are crucial for the care of the soil and food sovereignty, as they allow communities to guarantee their well-being and maintain a sustainable life in their territory, without relying on destructive or unsustainable practices.

For environmental defender Silva, the countryside should be a place full of opportunities, and not an area where its inhabitants only have the option of growing coca, joining armed groups or migrating in search of work in places where they run the risk of becoming unemployed.

She dreams of a territory where young people can build their future on their own land, in peace and without fear, making sustainable use of natural resources such as fishing with hooks, consuming the products of their soil, and moving freely along the rivers, all within the framework of a deep respect for nature and the preservation of the Amazon for future generations.

ADISPA's work has also had a positive impact on the lives of women in the Peasant Reserve Zone, motivating them to implement vegetable gardens and agroforestry systems as viable economic alternatives to substitute coca cultivation.

Before, families grew coca in their backyards and gardens, while the forest was cleared without control. Today, thanks to these processes of community awareness and action, the forest has been restored and farming practices have changed, allowing for the conservation of local fauna.

Silva points out that this commitment has resulted in a remarkable recovery of biodiversity: deer, borugas and a greater diversity of species that were previously rare can now be observed, demonstrating that the conservation work has had a positive impact on both the quality of life of the community and the balance and health of the soil.

The Future of Soil: a Globally and Locally driven Challenge

Jani Silva also highlights the importance of continuing to articulate their processes with cooperation agencies, as this is key to supporting ongoing initiatives, especially those related to youth, conservation, and the creation of biological corridors. These corridors, which have been damaged in the past, need to be restored to re-establish ecological balance.

Silva firmly believes that the difference is made at the local level, and recommends that cooperation should focus directly on grassroots organisations. She points out that one of the main challenges is that, on many occasions, accompaniment is carried out through external organisations, which often limit themselves to holding workshops, distributing materials, and then leaving the territory.

‘Real cooperation must focus on strengthening families, local communities and generating long-term sustainable work. The main goal should be to transform the consumerist mentality of ‘having today’ to a vision that values the future, care for the land and sustainability for the next generations,' explains the environmental defender, Jani Silva, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023.

We support local organisations in their struggle for human rights and dignified life because they are the ones who, from their communities, know first-hand the realities and needs of the territory. These organisations play a crucial role in the defence of human rights, fighting against violence, discrimination and exclusion, while promoting sustainable development in their territories.

By supporting their work, we are strengthening local voices and empowering communities to protect their resources, their culture and their future, in a context where social and environmental justice must go hand in hand. Their continued effort is vital to building a more equitable world, where everyone can live in dignity.