Join us at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester for another of our free professorial lectures.

Overview

Sustainable soil management: Essential for delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals

A free lecture examining the importance of sustainable soil management, addressing key issues such as soil health, soil pollution, and its implications for food safety.

The fourth event in our 2026 lecture series will take place on Wednesday 14 October 2026 from 6pm (doors open at 6pm with the lecture starting at 6.30pm) to 8pm in the Boutflour Hall at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU).

The lecture, entitled Sustainable soil management: Essential for delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals, will be delivered Dr David O'Connor, Associate Professor of Sustainable Land Management at the RAU, and Dr Bruce Lascelles, President Elect of the International Union of Soil Sciences and Director of Sustainable Land Management at Arcadis UK.

The lecture will examine the importance of sustainable soil management, addressing key issues such as soil health, soil pollution and its implications for food safety, and the opportunities and limitations of soil carbon sequestration.

This session aims to inspire action to protect one of our most precious and irreplaceable natural resources—an essential prerequisite for achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The speakers:

Dr David O’Connor completed his PhD and postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge and later worked in Beijing, China, where his research focused on soil pollution, brownfield remediation, and agricultural land degradation.

In 2023, he was elected Coordinator of the Food Safety Working Group within the International Network on Soil Pollution, part of the UN FAO, where he leads initiatives on soil contaminants and supports global efforts to advance sustainable soil management. He also serves as Deputy Editor of the journal Soil Use and Management.

Dr Bruce Lascelles is a strong advocate for soils and the physical environment. As well as being President Elect of the International Union of Soil Sciences and Director of Sustainable Land Management at Arcadis UK, he is a member of the Global Soil Security Think Tank and a Fellow of the British Society of Soil Science.

His work focuses on understanding soils and the interactions between physical and biological systems in the context of land-use change and nature recovery.

Come along to learn more about sustainable soil management and how we can protect one of our most precious and irreplaceable natural resources.

Location: RAU Cirencester

Date: 14 October 2026

Time: 6pm to 8pm (doors open at 6pm with the lecture starting at 6.30pm)

Tickets and parking are free.

Description supplied by the event organiser.