(ISO: Geneva)--On March 2, 2022, at the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, senior representatives from 175 countries backed a groundbreaking resolution to stop plastic pollution. This will result in a legally binding, international agreement by the end of 2024, aiming to make all plastics sustainable.

Plastics, especially single-use plastics, have often made international headlines—and with good reason. According to the U.N., the world and its oceans are being “swamped” by plastics. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation reports that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish.

Although plastic-strewn oceans get the most attention, the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) points out that plastics in soil threaten human health and food security. Last December, the FAO published a striking report, “Assessment of agricultural plastics and their sustainability: a call for action,” which described in detail how a multitude of agricultural plastics, especially microplastics, find their way into the food chain.

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