As the world population grows, it is more important than ever that measures are taken to preserve land in order to produce the food required to meet greater demand. Consumers do not always make the connection between the food we purchase at the grocery store and the resources that went into producing it.

The Beaufort County Soil and Water Conservation District, a member of the National Association of Conservation Districts, is celebrating National Stewardship Week, themed “Soil to Spoon,” through Sunday.

The “Soil to Spoon” program uses educational materials to explain the connection between the food we eat and the soil, stressing the significant relationship between healthy soil, healthy food and a healthy human body.

The district is distributing educational materials — placemats for restaurants and schools, bookmarks for libraries and educational booklets — around Beaufort County this week to promote the conservation of natural resources such as soil, water and forestry.

For more information about the “Soil to Spoon” project and other natural-resources education, visit www.nacdnet.org/education/resources/.

Be a good steward of the planet and help conserve its resources for generations to come.