LONDON and NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Thousands of people walked through parks, promenades, and public squares across more than 70 cities in April to mark Earth Day, in a joyful global show of solidarity for the world’s soils.
Organised through Sadhguru’s Conscious Planet Foundation, and in support of the Save Soil movement, these ‘walkathons’ united the movement’s grassroots volunteer network across Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. In Europe alone, walkers covered 27 major cities including London, Oslo, Munich, Vienna, Athens, Ljubljana, Stockholm, Bratislava, Dublin, Belgrade, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Dijon. Communities also walked in Seattle, San Francisco, Miami, Atlanta, Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore, Jakarta, Bengaluru, and beyond.
These were not protests but affirmations – people choosing to show up in solidarity, and signal to their respective governments that they would support more robust national soil health policies. The UNFAO is estimating that by 2050, 90% of topsoil may have degraded.
The walkathons mark a significant time for the movement. Earlier this month, Sadhguru addressed senior policymakers at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C., in a session hosted by former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. John Hamre. Connecting soil loss to food security, migration, and geopolitical stability, Sadhguru outlined that the crisis is a national, and international security concern. The UNFAO is estimating that by 2050, 90% of topsoil may have degraded.
The CSIS address coincided with Save Soil’s landmark Earth Day report, The Soil Carbon Sponge, which finds that restoring soil organic matter could cool the planet three times more effectively than greenhouse gases warm it. “We are overlooking one of the most powerful climate regulators beneath our feet,” said Praveena Sridhar, Chief Scientific and Policy Advisor at Save Soil.
Conscious Planet’s work spans both ecological and human wellbeing – reflected in the recent launch of the Miracle of Mind app, a science-backed free meditation app backed by Harvard researchers. Save Soil’s work also spans policy advocacy and farmer focused projects, with the movement having supported over 250,000 farmers in a transition to regenerative and tree based agriculture practices.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/416cd047-99d9-4ecd-ba6f-e2ee54557d3c