Uttar Pradesh today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Isha Outreach to conserve soil in the state joining Gujarat and Rajasthan to officially join the Global Movement to Save Soil. The MoU was signed at a Save Soil event in Lucknow in the presence of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Sadhguru, Founder- Isha Foundation. Sadhguru also handed the Save Soil Revitalization Handbook to the Chief Minister. The handbook offers practical, scientific solutions that governments can put into action to revitalize the soil in their country.

The Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Shri Surya Pratap Shahi, Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court Hon’ble Justice Rajesh Bindal, Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh Shri Durga Shanker Mishra other senior government officials attended the event along with over five thousand people.

“Right now, for the first time in the history of humanity, the top scientists in the world are using the word extinction in relationship with soil.” said Sadhguru, reminding the audience the critical nature of the situation. Expressing his confidence on soil being rejuvenated, he said, “India should take a lead because forever we have called Soil as mother. In India, Uttar Pradesh which is the largest tract of land and the most agriculturally prolific land must take the lead.”

Yogi Adityanath welcomed Sadhguru and expressed his happiness at rejuvenating more than 60 rivers since Sadhguru’s last visit in the state, as part of his Rally for Rivers movement. The Chief Minster highlighted the steps taken by the government to take care of the fertility of the soil and recalled the action taken to clean and protect River Ganga under Namami Ganga project. Calling the Save Soil Movement and Rally for rivers extremely important initiatives, he expressed his trust that more than 25 crore people of the state will join to support the movement.

Sadhguru who on March 21st 2022 embarked on a lone motorcycle journey across Europe, Central Asia and Middle East nations few days ago reached the Western port city of Jamnagar, Gujarat. Continuing his Indian leg of journey across 9 Indian states, he has passed through Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and New Delhi. At a Save Soil event in New Delhi, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined Sadhguru to express his wholehearted support and encouragement for the movement. Sadhguru also presented the Save Soil Policy Handbook to Prime Minister, which offers practical, scientific solutions that governments can put into action to revitalize the soil in their country.

Since his arrival in India, the Government of Gujarat and Rajasthan have signed an MoU to Save Soil in the state. The movement, till date, has touched 2.5 billion people while 74 countries have agreed to act to save their nations’ soils. Over 15 lakh children in India have written to the Prime Minister as well, requesting him to act to save the nation’s soil and their collective future. More than 65,000 students of from more than 300 schools in over 25 districts of UP have written letters to the Prime Minister.

The primary objective of the Save Soil Movement is to urge all nations of the world to mandate a minimum of 3-6% organic content in agricultural soils through urgent policy reforms. Without this minimum organic content, soil scientists have warned of the imminent death of soil, a phenomenon they are terming as ‘soil extinction.’

In India, nearly 30% of fertile soils in the country have already become barren and are incapable of yield. The United Nations has warned that at current rates of soil degradation, 90% of the earth could turn into desert by 2050- less than three decades from now. To avert this catastrophe, Sadhguru initiated the Save Soil movement in March this year, and travelled across 27 countries meeting leaders, politicians, scientists and citizens to galvanise support to Save Soil.

The Save Soil Movement is supported by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN World Food Programme, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).