The ‘Soil of the Year’ Campaign in Germany—Experiences from over 20 Years of Public Relations Work for Soil Awareness
Since 2005, the ‘Soil of the Year’ campaign has aimed to highlight the ecological functions and societal relevance of soils in Germany. This article analyses the campaign’s concept, evolution and outreach strategies. It evaluates its role as a tool for environmental education, public engagement and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/6/1250 |
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| author | Sonja Medwedski Gerhard Milbert Maike Bosold Jeannette Mathews Klaus Kruse |
| author_facet | Sonja Medwedski Gerhard Milbert Maike Bosold Jeannette Mathews Klaus Kruse |
| author_sort | Sonja Medwedski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Since 2005, the ‘Soil of the Year’ campaign has aimed to highlight the ecological functions and societal relevance of soils in Germany. This article analyses the campaign’s concept, evolution and outreach strategies. It evaluates its role as a tool for environmental education, public engagement and policy communication. Over two decades, the initiative has established itself as a key platform connecting science, policy and society. The annual designation of a specific soil type enables focused communication, enhances public understanding and encourages sustainable soil management. The article concludes by identifying success factors for the long-term effectiveness of the campaign and outlines future opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and digital innovation. In addition, the findings provide actionable recommendations for similar soil awareness campaigns in other countries. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c59eba02f9094ea8914f82a6e9edde16 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj-art-c59eba02f9094ea8914f82a6e9edde162025-08-20T03:27:28ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2025-06-01146125010.3390/land14061250The ‘Soil of the Year’ Campaign in Germany—Experiences from over 20 Years of Public Relations Work for Soil AwarenessSonja Medwedski0Gerhard Milbert1Maike Bosold2Jeannette Mathews3Klaus Kruse4German Soil Association, 49152 Bad Essen, GermanySteering Committee Soil of the Year, 47608 Geldern, GermanyGerman Soil Association, 49152 Bad Essen, GermanyGerman Environment Agency, 06844 Dessau-Rosslau, GermanyFederal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, 30655 Hannover, GermanySince 2005, the ‘Soil of the Year’ campaign has aimed to highlight the ecological functions and societal relevance of soils in Germany. This article analyses the campaign’s concept, evolution and outreach strategies. It evaluates its role as a tool for environmental education, public engagement and policy communication. Over two decades, the initiative has established itself as a key platform connecting science, policy and society. The annual designation of a specific soil type enables focused communication, enhances public understanding and encourages sustainable soil management. The article concludes by identifying success factors for the long-term effectiveness of the campaign and outlines future opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and digital innovation. In addition, the findings provide actionable recommendations for similar soil awareness campaigns in other countries.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/6/1250soil awarenesssoil of the yearsoil literacyscience communicationworld soil daysoil health |
| spellingShingle | Sonja Medwedski Gerhard Milbert Maike Bosold Jeannette Mathews Klaus Kruse The ‘Soil of the Year’ Campaign in Germany—Experiences from over 20 Years of Public Relations Work for Soil Awareness Land soil awareness soil of the year soil literacy science communication world soil day soil health |
| title | The ‘Soil of the Year’ Campaign in Germany—Experiences from over 20 Years of Public Relations Work for Soil Awareness |
| title_full | The ‘Soil of the Year’ Campaign in Germany—Experiences from over 20 Years of Public Relations Work for Soil Awareness |
| title_fullStr | The ‘Soil of the Year’ Campaign in Germany—Experiences from over 20 Years of Public Relations Work for Soil Awareness |
| title_full_unstemmed | The ‘Soil of the Year’ Campaign in Germany—Experiences from over 20 Years of Public Relations Work for Soil Awareness |
| title_short | The ‘Soil of the Year’ Campaign in Germany—Experiences from over 20 Years of Public Relations Work for Soil Awareness |
| title_sort | soil of the year campaign in germany experiences from over 20 years of public relations work for soil awareness |
| topic | soil awareness soil of the year soil literacy science communication world soil day soil health |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/6/1250 |
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