Rattan Lal, Ph.D., is a Distinguished University Professor and Director of CFAES Rattan Lal Center for Carbon Management and Sequestration, the Ohio State University (1987-to date), was soil Physicist (1969-1987) at IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria, and a senior research Fellow (1968-1969) at the University of Sydney, Australia. His research interests are soil carbon sequestration, soil physical properties and processes, soil health, conservation agriculture, soil restoration and sustainable management of soils, and food and nutritional security. He has authored, co-authored 1200 journal articles, 590 book chapters, and written/edited 110 books. He has mentored about 425 scholars from around the world. He was President of the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (1987-1990), International Soil & Tillage Research Organization (1987-1989), Soil Science Society of America (2006-2008), and the International Union of Soil Sciences (2017-2018). Prof. Lal is a member of 7 global professional academies, and has received 9 honorary degrees from universities in USA, Europe, India and South America. He holds a Chair in Soil Science and Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainability Issues for IICA, Costa Rica. He was a member of the 2021-UNFSS Science Committee and Action Track 3 with focus on "Coalition 4 Action on Soil Health". He is a member of the U.N. Food System Coordination Hub, Prof. Lal is laureate of the 2018 World Soil Prize, 2019 Japan Prize, 2020 World Food Prize, 2020 Arrell Innovation Prize, 2021 Padma Shri Award from the President of India,2024 Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity. Soil and Agronomy department of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana was named Dr .Rattan Lal Laboratories in 2020, and Lal Carbon and Soil Health Laboratory was inaugurated at the National University of Uzbekistan, Tashkent in 2025.
