The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), founded in 1924 under the name International Society of Soil Science, is a scientific union and member of the International Science Council (ISC).

The Union has 86 national and regional member societies with about 60,000 scientists in several countries and individual members in 57 countries. Every four years, the IUSS holds the World Congress of Soil Science.

As of January 2023, the secretariat was taken over by the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics of Italy. Previously, the secretariat was managed by Sigbert Huber, an officer of the Environment Agency Austria (Umweltbundesamt), located in Vienna.

Mission The purpose of the IUSS is to promote all branches of soil science and its applications, to promote contacts among scientists and other persons engaged in the study and the application of soil science; to stimulate scientific research and to further the application of such research.

The IUSS is a founding partner of the International Year of Planet Earth and supports all of its activities. The IUSS has contributed to the International Year of Planet Earth's brochure "Soil – earth's living skin", which has been translated into several languages.

The IUSS publishes monthly the IUSS Alert and twice a year the IUSS Bulletin. December 5 is celebrated as the World Soil Day.

Divisions The IUSS has Divisions and Commissions in the following areas:

Division 1 – Soils in space and time C1.1 Soil morphology and micromorphology C1.2 Soil geography C1.3 Soil genesis C1.4 Soil classification C1.5 Pedometrics C1.6 Paleopedology

Division 2 – Soil properties and processes C2.1 Soil physics C2.2 Soil chemistry C2.3 Soil biology C2.4 Soil mineralogy C2.5 Soil chemical, physical and biological interfacial reactions

Division 3 – Soil use and management C3.1 Soil evaluation and land use planning C3.2 Soil and water conservation C3.3 Soil fertility and plant nutrition C3.4 Soil engineering and technology C3.5 Soil degradation control, remediation, and reclamation

Division 4 – The role of soil in sustaining society and the environment C4.1 Soil and the environment C4.2 Soil, food security, and human health C4.3 Soil and land use change C4.4 Soil education and public awareness C4.5 History, philosophy, and sociology of soil science

This structure and the Commissions have grown from the original six Commissions established in 1924.

In addition, the IUSS holds many Working Groups. Every Working Group is associated to a Commission.

President Until 2014, the IUSS President was designated by the national soil science society that was responsible for the next World Congress of Soil Science. This was normally a four-year period. The change in office was immediately after closing the World Congress. However, many tasks of scientific leadership were done by a Secretary-General. The last IUSS President according to this regulation was Jae Yang, who acted from the closure of the World Congress 2010 till the closure of the World Congress 2014.

Since 2014, the IUSS President is elected by the IUSS Council for a two-year period. Since 2017, the change in office is January 1. The election is more than two years in advance. The IUSS President is the scientific leader, and the Secretary (instead of the former Secretary-General) is the organizing leader. The first IUSS President according to the new regulation was Rainer Horn, who acted from the closure (June 13) of the World Congress 2014 till December 31, 2016.

Congresses and Presidents World Congresses of Soil Science and IUSS PresidentsIUSS Past Presidents. Retrieved 30/06/2026. Nr Congress Location President 25. 2034 Leipzig 2033-2034 2031-2032 24. 2030 Toronto 2029-2030 Rosa Maria Poch Claret 2027-2028 Bruce Lascelles 23. 2026 Nanjing 2025–2026 Victor Okechukwu Chude 2023-2024 Edoardo A.C. Costantini 22. 2022 Glasgow 2021–2022 Laura Bertha Reyes Sánchez 2019–2020 Takashi Kosaki 21. 2018 Rio de Janeiro 2017–2018 Rattan Lal 20. 2014 Jeju-do Island 2014–2016 Rainer Horn 19. 2010 Brisbane, Queensland 2010–2014 Jae Yang 18. 2006 Philadelphia 2006–2010 R.S. Swift 17. 2002 Bangkok 2002–2006 D. L. Sparks 16. 1998 Montpellier 1998–2002 S. Theerawong 15. 1994 Acapulco 1994–1998 A. Ruellan 14. 1990 Kyoto 1990–1994 A.A. Santelises 13. 1986 Hamburg 1986–1990 A. Tanaka 12. 1982 New Delhi 1982–1986 K.H. Hartge 11. 1978 Edmonton, Alberta 1978–1982 J.S. Kanwar 10. 1974 Moscow 1974–1978 C.F. Bentley 9. 1968 Adelaide 1968–1974 8. 1964 Bucharest 1964–1968 E.G. Hallsworth 7. 1960 Madison, Wisconsin 1960–1964 N.C. Cernescu 6. 1956 Paris 1956–1960 R. Bradfield 5. 1954 Kinshasa (Leopoldville) DR Congo 1954–1956 A. Oudin 4. 1950 Amsterdam 1950–1954 R. Tavernier x 1950 C.H. Edelman 3. 1935 Oxford 1935-1940 F.W. Schucht 2. 1930 Leningrad 1930–1935 J. Russell 1. 1927 Washington, D.C. 1927–1930 K. Gedroiz Fd. 1924 Rome 1924–1927 J. G. Lipman

See also World Congress of Soil Science (WCSS)

References

External links IUSS Website