The International Scientific and Practical Conference "Soil Science and Geography Science and Practice", dedicated to the 105th anniversary of the birth of Ivan Mykolayovych Gogolev, a prominent soil scientist and geographer, professor, founder of the Department of Soil Science and Soil Geography at the I.I. Mechnikov Odesa National University, who made a significant contribution to the development of soil science in Ukraine, was held on 06 September in Odesa and was a tribute to his legacy.

The aim of the conference was to discuss the most important issues related not only to the theoretical aspects of soil and geographical research, but also to the practical challenges that agriculture in Ukraine and Odesa region in particular will face in the coming decades.

Particular attention was paid to soil remediation after the war, as more than 5 million hectares of agricultural land were contaminated by the fighting. This issue is critically important for Ukraine, as the quality of land resources determines not only the yield but also the country's food security.

One of the keynote speeches was delivered by Alla STOYANOVA, who focused on the importance of creating soil legislation and separating it from land legislation, as well as adapting it to new challenges. She emphasised that restoring land after the war is a complex process that requires the efforts of many scientific disciplines and investment in modern technologies.

"Soils are the foundation of our future. Our task is not only to restore the land after the war, but also to do so using modern scientific achievements and methods. The land is a source of food, jobs, and our economic foundation, which we must preserve for future generations," said Alla Stoyanova.
Her speech aroused great interest, as the legislative aspects of land use in wartime are extremely relevant.

Andriy BUYANOVSKY emphasised the importance of the conference, saying: "Our soils are a strategic resource. The Ukrainian scientific community aims to develop land restoration programmes that will be useful not only for our country but also for the world in the context of global climate change and the consequences of the war."

ACTING TOGETHER FOR VICTORY!